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Cultivating the art of daily life 🌿 Dear readers,

When light enters your heart,
what image would appear in your mind?

What kind of beauty in things would you truly see? Here at OBSCURA, we are delighted to find things that sparkle and share them with you. If we all learn to appreciate the beauty in life,
and choose to see love and light in everything,
we can create a beautiful universe together, in our hearts.

✑

Founded in 2010 and based in Hong Kong, OBSCURA is a brand tailored for those with a passion to crea

te their very own style with an outstanding perspective. Our biannual publication and online platform aim to inspire readers by sharing our interests in art, design, lifestyle and craftsmanship. Under the same principle, our online store showcases a selection of everyday items which best reflect our aesthetic.

31/05/2025

⟨ BEAUTY HIGHLIGHTS ⟩

Officine Universelle Buly: Les Jardins Français

走進淺水灣的花店，眼前一片綠意盈盈的景象，繡球花、檸檬樹、薄荷葉、九層塔⋯⋯ 由花藝師 Ken 為Officine Universelle Buly 1803yOfficine Universelle Buly Hong Kongk 重現的法式花園，清新香氣撲鼻而來，慢下來細意探索，北歐紅醋栗與秘魯番茄、印度青瓜與敘利亞薄荷或是安第斯馬鞭草與黑海羅勒⋯⋯ 是充滿驚喜、帶有陽光與泥土的蔬果氣息。

身為園藝控的 Victoire de Taillac 於法國南部 Toulouse 的家族城堡有一個種花、種瓜菜的花園，而成長於務農之家的丈夫 Ramdane Touhami，同時擔當園藝顧問，他們熱愛植物園藝，更把這份熱愛放到香氛創作之中。Touhami 在古董市集偶然遇上裝滿古老種子的小盒子，這些種子雖沒有在泥土裡復活，卻成長成「Les Jardins Français」（The French Gardens）香氛系列。來自世界不同地方的蔬菜瓜果和香草，組成了六款以綠悠田園為水基地的香氛，不刺鼻、不張揚，清新怡人的氣息自然地融入空間，讓人驚喜，原來看似平常的蔬果植物也能成為主角。

繼出版植物標本藏香集《The Scented Herbarium 》，以文字、書香來延續這綠悠田園系列後，Officine Universelle Buly 最近推出印上植物插畫的香氛卡，把「The French Gardens」六款香氛躍然紙上，設計簡單而易於收藏或展示，淡淡香氣引領我們放慢腳步，走進優美的綠悠田園，猶如為這個陰晴不定的春日送上一陣清新舒爽的微風。

22/04/2025

⟨ READING CORNER ⟩
BOOK & SONS
📐📖💡📐📖💡📐📖💡📐📖💡

「透過書來與別人溝通是一件很有趣的事情，若別人也喜歡我的選書，並買它們回家，已讓我樂上半天。」由川田修（Osamu Kawata）創立的書店 BOOK & SONS 不是一般大眾的書店，它的選書非常狹窄，主要是關於排版設計、攝影的書籍；書店的選址也是遠離市中心的住宅區，前來的人大概都是刻意前來，而非偶然路過。

「我在大學時唸管理，從來都沒有修讀過設計或是藝術，後來依靠閱讀各類書籍和作品集來吸收平面和排版設計的知識和技術，最後自學成設計師。對我來說，書本就是老師。」

“Communicating through books is such a fascinating experience. When someone shares my taste and takes a book home, it truly makes my day,” says Osamu Kawata, founder of BOOK & SONS. This bookstore is far from ordinary; its curated selection focuses primarily on typography and photography. Located away from the city center in a quiet residential area, its visitors tend to make the trip on purpose rather than by chance.

“I studied management in university, never taking design or art classes. Instead, I immersed myself in various books and portfolios to learn graphic and typography design, ultimately becoming a self-taught designer. For me, books are my teachers.”

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Full story on website (link in bio) 🎨

07/04/2025

⟨ Slow Stitch ⟩
SHADOWS INTO LIGHT
Shelly Goldsmith
🦋👗💎🦋👗💎🦋👗💎

應對快時尚的毒害，原來可以美麗地以暴易暴。

藝術家 Shelly Goldsmith 在創意藝術大學（University of Creative Arts）工作時，發現了這技術的創新用途。「我覺得地球上已經夠多的人造織物了，因此重用舊的聚酯（polyester）服裝是一個自然不過的解決方案。」Shelly的解説為「自然」立下新的方程式。

In response to the detrimental effects of fast fashion, one can indeed counteract it with a beautiful rebellion.

While working at the University for the Creative Arts, Shelly Goldsmith discovered innovative uses for dye sublimation. “I felt strongly that there was already enough man-made fabric on the planet, so reusing worn polyester garments was a natural solution.” Shelly’s insight establishes a new equation for what it means to be “natural.”
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Full story on website (link in comment) / ✍︎ Toby Crispy FashionClinic by TobyCrispy

31/03/2025

⟨ Art ⟩
The Art of 96-Year-Old Setsu
🍤🐈🥦🍤🐈🥦🍤🐈🥦

「『快樂是痛苦的種子、痛苦是幸福的種子。』有句老話是這樣說，如果你先努力奮鬥、剩下的就會很容易了，我媽媽常常說。」木村Setsu相信她年輕過得辛苦，所以現在可以過得輕鬆簡單，這是96歲的創作者的信念，但如果辛苦是幸福的必經階段，我希望看著作品的我們此時此刻就是幸福了。

「我在超市找靈感，看到我日常喝的牛奶。從前沒有男人去購物，現在超市裡到處是男人。」每次作畫，她都先在A5大小的白紙上描繪主題，再巧妙地使用報紙的色塊、調整紙碎顏色的角度，黏貼出漸層效果，有時是直接貼、有時是先揉後貼，使作品更立體、真實。

“There’s an old saying: ‘Happiness is the seed of suffering, and suffering is the seed of happiness.’ My mother always said that if you work hard first, the rest will follow easily.” Setsu believes that her challenging youth has paved the way for a more relaxed life now. If hardship is a stepping stone to happiness, then perhaps, in this moment, as we admire her work, we are indeed experiencing joy.

“I find inspiration at the supermarket—like the milk I drink daily. In the past, men didn’t go shopping; now, they’re everywhere.” She begins each piece by sketching her theme on A5-sized paper, skillfully using colored newspaper clippings to create stunning gradient effects. Sometimes she applies the paper directly; other times, she crumples it first for added depth and texture.

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Full story on our website (link in comment)

24/03/2025

⟨ Slow Stitch ⟩
SEAMS AND BEAMS
Warp & Weft
☁️🕯️🐶️☁️🕯️🐶☁️🕯️🐶

「如果我們都更重視自己和彼此，就不可能會購買廉價和不道德的產品。現在很多人都在意他們吃些什麼，從食物的來源和食品行業中動物福利的角度多加考慮，其實我們應該以完全相同的方式來考慮我們所有的選購。」

“If we all valued ourselves and each other a little more, it would make it impossible to buy cheap, unethically made products. A lot of people now consider what they eat, in terms of how it is sourced and the welfare of the animals within the food industry, we should consider all of our purchases in exactly the same way.”
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Full story on website (link in bio) / ✍︎ Toby Crispy

18/03/2025

⟨ MISC ⟩
Let The Good Things Connect Us
Nocturnal Stationery
✏️📐📋️️✏️📐📋✏️📐📋

對我來說，「文具」是一個媒介，透過它讓我結識了很多跟自己有著相同喜好和價值觀的人，是在日常生活上很難做的。我認為懂得欣賞細微事物的人，心地不會太壞，尤其在這個世代的批判聲音太多，懂得放慢去欣賞身邊事物的人更顯難能可貴。

For me, stationery is a medium that connects me with like-minded people—something hard to achieve in everyday life. I believe those who appreciate the finer details tend to have kind hearts. In a world filled with critique, it’s increasingly rare to find individuals who take the time to appreciate the beauty around them.

Full story on our website (link in bio)

07/03/2025

⟨ The Art of Making ⟩
What is Japan Craft?
🫖🪵🤲🏻🫖🪵🤲🏻🫖🪵🤲🏻
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在日本，指向手工藝領域的詞有很多。「手工藝」是「工藝」的翻譯，但又不一定完全相同。「手工藝」通常是指自由發想與製作的現代作品，而「工藝」則強調地域傳統和技術，包含歷史累積的價值。當我們詢問作家們對於創作的表述時，他們珍惜的核心都很不同，有關文化、土地、人、材料、環境、作品等不同面向的解說令人感到十分有趣。

而「工芸」有時又會以「工藝」來表示，但兩者間會有些微差別，有點難以言明，但也可說是在某程度上反映著日本人的一種個性？譬如在昭和時代活躍的陶藝家會用「工藝」一詞，表達他們在作品中融入了傳統技術和哲學思考的姿態。

In Japan, many terms describe the world of handcrafted objects. ‘Handicraft’ is a translation of ‘kogei’, but the two are not entirely synonymous. ‘Handicraft’ often refers to modern works created from free ideas, while ‘kogei’ emphasises regional traditions and techniques, expressing the value of historical accumulation. When we asked the artists how they would describe their work, their core values varied, offering fascinating explanations related to culture, land, people, materials, environment, and the works themselves.

Moreover, kōgei (工芸) is sometimes expressed as ‘kogei’ (工藝), but subtle differences exist between them. This ambiguity is difficult to articulate but reflects, to some extent, the Japanese character. For example, potters active during the Showa era used the term ‘kōgei’ to express their incorporation of traditional techniques and philosophical thought into their works.
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Full story on our website (link in bio) / ✍︎
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28/02/2025

⟨ART ⟩
When the Sun Rises
Wong Hiu Ching
🌄🌄🌄
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當 Hiu Ching 描繪飛鵝山沿路的畫面時，就像一次又一次獨自走過那段路，一如父親也曾獨遊飛鵝山，這讓她深深地感受到父親一直以來的孤獨。「但是，當我畫到一幅描繪與父親一起追逐日出景象的畫面時，一種釋放的感覺漸漸地湧上心頭，就如當時我們與父親走過長長的山路後，終於看到日出時的心情一樣。」

「這展覽的名字也是從這時候才想到的 ——「日東」（Yat Tung），是我父親的名字，也是日出的意思。」

As Hiu Ching paints the scenes along Kowloon Peak, it feels like she’s retracing the solitary paths her father once walked. This experience deepens her understanding of his loneliness. “However, when I painted a scene of chasing the sunrise with my father, a feeling of release washed over me, reminiscent of that moment when we finally witnessed the sunrise after trekking that long mountain path together.”

“The title of the exhibition, Yat Tung, came to me during this reflective period—it’s both my father’s name and a nod to the sunrise.”

Yat Tung by
Now to 9 MAR at
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Full story on our website (link in comment)

28/01/2025

🧧🏮🌹
Happy Lunar New Year! Wish you happiness and prosperity in the coming year. 💕

23/01/2025

⟨ Misc ⟩
Only Lovers Left Alive
SQÜRL / Jozef Van Wissem
🪩🍷🌌🪩🍷🌌🪩🍷🌌🪩🍷🌌
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依娃對陷入憂鬱的阿當說：「你知道嗎？在宇宙，有一顆像鑽石一樣大的行星。它是一顆崩塌、壓縮後的白矮星。它不只是一顆閃耀的鑽石，還會發出巨大的敲打音樂。」

「嗯……我真想知道它聽起來是怎樣。」阿當回答。

Jim Jarmusch曾經說，每當陷入憂鬱，它就會想起那些他還未聽過的音樂。看著這幕時，想像在夜晚的星空，掛著一顆迪斯可球，不過它的材料是鑽石，每個晚上演奏著沒有人聽見的音樂，憂鬱的心情的確稍稍緩解。

Eve tells Adam, who is sinking into despair, “Did you know there’s a planet out there as big as a diamond? It’s a collapsed white dwarf star. Not only does it shine like a diamond, but it also produces massive rhythmic music.”

“Hmm… I really wonder what it sounds like,” Adam replies.

Jim Jarmusch once said that whenever he feels depressed, he thinks of all the music he hasn’t yet heard. Watching this scene, I imagine a disco ball made of diamonds, hanging in the night sky and playing music that no one can hear — a slight relief from melancholia.
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Full story on our website (link in bio) / ✍︎ & 📷
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21/01/2025

⟨ FASHION HIGHLIGHTS ⟩
Olivier Kervern For 45R HK
Springtime in HAYAMA
💐☀️🌊💐☀️🌊💐☀️🌊

對香港人來說，提到法國攝影師 Olivier Kervern，必定會想起他在 2019 年為 Jil Sander 拍攝的「The Hong Kong Project」。他選擇以素人模特兒在平常不過的街道上拍攝，表現品牌的美學與生活感，記錄我們一直忽略、平凡卻美好的風景。

曾於訪問中說到「忘掉有關成名或致富的一切，然後，若你能保持坦誠和忠於自己，你便能過上好日子。」照片就如他本人，坦誠而充滿情感，隨性又具感染力。最近，Kervern 為日本職人品牌 45R 拍攝今年的早春系列，透過日本製老菲林相機以生活化的影像記錄日本葉山的明媚風景，他坦率的攝影風格與 45R 的手工藝巧妙地融合起來，以一種遠距離而又親密的方式捕捉人、風景與物品的相遇，表現出系列的浪漫、自然的情懷，讓人率先感受到春意盎然的溫暖氣息。

16/01/2025

⟨ The Art of Making ⟩
The Art of Tea Bowls Appreciation
🍵🍃🍵🍃🍵🍃🍵🍃🍵🍃
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談及茶碗觀賞前，我們先談十分重要的基礎：日本茶碗大多拒斥形式美而追求精神美。這也是《周易・繫辭上》說的：「形而上者謂之道，形而下者謂之器。」日本人重視形而上的精神層次與自身的關係。

鑑賞茶碗時，我們會從胴部造型、口造（碗的邊緣）、內部景色以及高台來做賞析。資深古美術商還會考量土味和印銘，這些元素雖然可以單獨觀賞，但組合起來更能突顯茶碗的個性。

Before we explore the appreciation of tea bowls, it’s essential to recognize a fundamental principle: Japanese tea bowls often prioritize spiritual beauty over formal aesthetics. As expressed in the I Ching, “What is above form is called the way; what is below form is called the vessel.” This sentiment reflects a deep-seated value in Japanese culture—the metaphysical relationship between spirit and self.

When appreciating a tea bowl, we examine several key aspects: its shape, rim design, interior surface, and foot. Experienced art dealers also take into account the texture of the clay and any distinctive markings. While each element can be appreciated on its own, it is their interplay that reveals the unique character of each bowl, inviting us to experience the nuances and intricacies that define its beauty.
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Full story on our website (link in bio) / ✍︎ & 📷 古道具黑池
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#黑池 #古道具 #古物 #茶碗 #茶道

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