- lai lam -

born and raised in hong kong, my background is in communications and information management before becoming a full-time weaver. i have a strong fascination of textiles and all things fibre since my early years. stories about my grandfather selling pre-wound warps in a south china village store in the 1940’s; watching a neighbour handspin sewing thread as fine as hair; my mother showing how to strip fibres from wild ramie plants in hong kong are some of my archived childhood memories.

my fibrecraft journey began after my family moved to new zealand. after joining the auckland handweavers and spinners guild, i gradually developed an obsession with plant fibres such as linen, ramie, and muka from the harakeke plant. i also have an obsession with paper spinning, especially dictionaries.

intrigued by backstrap weaving practised by many indigenous cultures around the world, this became my signature style after much addictive research and documentary videos. it's mysteriously satisfying to have the warp strapped around my back while weaving, and watching the piece roll and grow slowly in front of me.

a weaver and maker, I like to start from scratch whenever possible. my work portrays a mixture of spinning, weaving and stitching, almost always backstrap-woven.