At the inaugural exhibition of the Tzu Chi Environmental Action Centre in Hong Kongโs Tai Wai neighbourhood in 2021, one particular installation stood out: a school of more than 100 suspended sharks made from wood that had been entirely salvaged.
It was an effective and subtle way to convey the message from its creator, Lam Che, that trees and sea creatures share space with those who use and discard them with little thought.
Lam, who is in his mid-60s, began salvaging fallen trees and construction waste in 2003, repurposing them in his Kwun Tong studio. He predominantly collects fallen camphor trees and old Thai teak that was once popular in colonial home furnishings.
As Hong Kong enters its typhoon season, Lam is about to get busy again.
Fallen trees are packed with moisture and require two to three years to dry out enough to sculpt into art and furniture pieces. Lam makes mostly stools and tabletop accessories such as radio and jewellery cabinets.