Ever since Fate-design founded, our vision has been to use stainless steel as our main creating material, and feature Asian cultural influences, and later incorporate traditional Taiwanese elements into our design. “Dragon Rider” was one of a series of designs with dragon as the main theme. Originally, we would use steel to construct the dragon’s body, then add bamboo weave to accentrate the curve and increase the fullness. To our dismay, because of the time strain the idea couldn’t be carried out.
Though everyone was frustrated, we simply couldn’t give up. The dragon was supposed to fly in the sky, how could we give up so easily?
All right, let us give it another try.
We made a phone call to National Taiwan Craft Research Institute to inquire if there was other traditional Taiwanese handmade material that could meet our need. Director Yao, our savior, strongly recommended Atayal tribe’s traditional weave. He also helped us contact the weave expert, Ms. Yuma Taru. Fortunately, Ms. Yuma was interested in our project and invited us to her studio in Miaoli to see if there was a possibility for cooperation.
On the way to Ms. Yuma’s studio, I paid no attention to the scenery. My head was full of questions and doubts. I couldn’t count how many times that cars behind me would drive past, impatient with my slowness. I might appear collected and concentrated on looking for the signs to the studio, but inside I was very nervous. What if the weave collided with the hard, sharp stainless steel? Could the weave and the steel match together? If there was a possibility, would Ms. Yuma be willing to help us? And the biggest doubt was whether Fate-design was the shallow shoal that trapped the dragon, instead of helping it soar in the sky?
Inside Ms. Yuma’s studio, there were a few weaving machines, and several women were quietly working. Gradually, the serene atmosphere calmed my nerves. Atayal weave’s color coordination was strikingly beautiful. The traditional ‘l’mamu’ weaving method created a pattern strongly resembled dragon’s scales. In addition, the softness of the fabric would certainly give the austere dragon a touch of gentleness.
With Ms. Yuma’s help, our project was able to continue. Before “Dragon Rider” began its journey, there were a technical problem we needed to iron out. I was afraid the sharp edge of the steel would cut through the fabric, and made it unable to attache to the dragon’s body. After some discussions and several grinding processes, we finally put the fabric onto the body. After all, the Atayal weave, just like its people, though gentle in nature, demonstrated great inner strength. Stainless steel and Atayal weave, a unique marriage, gave birth to one of the kind: ‘Dragon Rider’
Though we assigned Dragon Rider as a children’s rocking chair, after it was finished, everyone wanted to ride it, pretending it was a real dragon. With all the excitement and laughter, I thought: ‘A adventure begins!’
