Boris Huang
Featherworker
Honolulu, HI, USA
Recommended by Craft in America
A feather adventure across the Pacific
- Boris' practice upholds the tradition of Hawaiian featherwork
- At the heart of his craft is a respect for Nature as the original and ultimate ali'i, or royalty
- His work has been exhibited in famed international fairs and repeatedly awarded
"Before there were borders, words and names for countries and gods, there were birds," shares passionate feather artisan Boris Huang. Originally from Taiwan, Boris discovered feathers at a lei shop on a visit to Hawaii in the year 2000. By 2003, he had become the distinguished apprentice to Hawaiian featherwork masters Mary Lou Kekuewa and Paulette Kahalepuna. "The indigenous peoples of all continents have honoured the avian with feather adornment," Boris notes. His lei garlands and cape artworks are the natural expression of a profoundly Hawaiian craft tradition in which every feather is placed according to how the live bird had flown. Dedicated to adhering to traditional Hawaiian featherwork techniques, Boris also tells the visual stories of his native Taiwanese heritage through his art. In 2019, The New York Times Style Magazine featured his feather artworks alongside Versace, Erdam and Louboutin.
Discover his work
INTERVIEW
Each species and every type of feather has a unique tensile bend and breaking point. For each design I must know what the feather can do so it is not wasted. My whole body leans and moves in a precise posture and position while my fingers twist thread and tie.
A design idea might have to wait five years while all the feathers are collected by a trusted vendor, farmers or friends with pet bird. The feathers I use come from a molt or a natural death. In my feather work, avian nature becomes a touchable beauty intended to inspire preservation.
Chinese poet Su Shi and philosophy demonstrate how we can learn to enjoy our lives during difficult times. My design ideas are first named. Then calculations follow to find the feathers that will voice my poetic intention in a visual form.
For me, every lei and cape design will fulfill the traditional Hawaiian feather work tradition to which I belong. I am not looking to work faster, but I am looking to design fashion, paint with colour, and sculpt space with the light of a feather.
Boris Huang
Featherworker
Honolulu, HI, USA
Recommended by Craft in America
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Honolulu, HI, USA
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
English, Mandarin, Hokkien
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