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‘City ö/Roses’
Volume XXXXI, Number 33
Wednesday • August 17, 2011
/A jb e rta
Established ¡n 1970
Committed to Cultural Diversity
L a n te rn s
Asian styles
mimic nature
/
f
,
7
C ar ] H achmann
T he P ortland O bserver
by
For 13 years, the handm ade paper lan­
terns glowing in the window of HiiH G al­
lery on N ortheast A lberta Street (pro­
nounced Hi Hi) have yet to dull. Husband
and wife team , Lam Qu?ng and Kestrel
G ates, keep their designs as fresh as
P ortland’s turning seasons.
The most colorful of the dangling lanterns
and stationary lamps mimic a unique in­
stance in nature— the fleeting beauty of a
poppy in blossom— while others more subtle,
reflect the originality and freedom of an artist
absorbed in creative thought or memory.
O ther lanterns take the form of sea crea­
tures, insects, budding plants, or Asian
I
aesthetics and encom pass a list of light
fixtures including sconces, ceiling fixtures,
table lam ps, standing lam ps, pendants,
and chandeliers.
Using traditional and self-taught techniques
and natural raw materials, the duo brings to­
gether the function of light, the craft of paper,
and the art of sculpture, in a process of paper­
making, wire bending, painting and waxing.
photos by C ari H achmann TT he P ortland O bserver
Originally from Vietnam, Qu?ng started Läm Qu?ng is one ha lf o f the husband and wife team that creates handmade paper lanterns for the couple’s HiiH Gallery on
making paper after he moved to Portland in Northeast Alberta Street. The poppy desk lamp next to him is handcrafted with paper, wire, paint and other natural elements.
1990. Inspired by childhood memories of moon
festivals, he soon began experimenting with
structural lamp forms and honed his skills
through workshops and admired influences.
In 1998, Q u?ng’s refined pieces lead to
V i
the opening of HiiH Gallery. His wife,
Absorbing ideas
originally from Ashland, joined him in 2004,
from nature,
draw ing on her background in the per­
I ’
childhood moon
form ing arts to enrich the design and cre­
festivals, and Asian
ation o f H iiH ’s lamp forms.
aesthetics— a variety
Qu?ng says many ideas for the lanterns
o f light sculptures
come from the natural world, invoking the
color the window
cycles of new growth, of silence and fruition.
inside the HiiH
“We have a garden; we spend time in nature
Gallery at 2 9 2 9 N.E.
as much as possible,” he said.
Alberta St.
The couple revels in hikes around Port­
land -lo cal swimming holes, in fields, and off
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continued
on page 5