Three years ago (in 2017), I was travelling all around Malaysia and I had many uncertainties of what to expect. Carrying a backpack that was nearly the size of me did not deter me exploring different local textiles, culture and to share my knowledge of Cyanotype.

Cyanotype (aka ferro-prussiate printing), is an old direct sunlight printing process where the angle of light, amount of exposure and types of medium would influence the final result of a blue and white image, which is well known as blueprint.

Besides capturing moments with my phone in Malaysia, I kept exploring the unknown possibilities of using cyanotype as prints. Surprisingly, curator – Him Lo, who discovered my early works in Malaysia, became simultaneously the ‘matchmaker’ for this collaborative project between me and Ms. Jody from Qipao Tang.

Blueprint to me symbolises an action plan for the future. Without action, blueprint would never materialize. It would only remain a figment of the imagination.

Same could be said of our own history and culture. If we do not pass down our knowledge, it will be lost forever. For goals to be realized, we must put our plan into practice. It’s like if I had not travelled to Malaysia, my work may not be here today.

My artistic journey explores the meaning of history, by presenting my works today and passing on knowledge to inspire our future generations.

Lai Garling

在中⽂語境中，藍圖⼀詞通常引申為一種對未來的構想或計劃。

設計藍圖是為了激勵我們向目標進發，向心中嚮往的未來一步一步去實踐。 如果沒有行動，藍圖只會停留在嚮往的階段，只有確實地去實踐，才會擦出新的花。

就如同我當初如果沒有出發去馬來西亞，今天我的作品或許就不會呈現在南豐紗廠。 要記住很多事物會在歷史洪流中遺失，華夏文化的未來是掌握在每一位後⼈手上。若然今天我的作品能掀起你心中的漣漪，希望在不久的將來，你會繼續考究歷史真諦，把它傳承開去，繼續啟發後人。

黎嘉玲