An animal skull has been displayed at Sandy Choi’s office for over twenty years.

"That was when I was still in advertising. While filming on location in the New Zealand plains, I spotted a skull on the ground during a break. It still had a bit of fleshes on it, and it was stunning," Sandy recounted calmly as if it was just an ordinary stone. "I couldn’t help but find a zip-lock bag to keep it safe and bring it back to Hong Kong."

The origin and species of this animal skull remain unknown, prompting her to research how to preserve it properly. He soaked it in chemicals and cleaned it repeatedly. After such a complex process, the bone returned to its pristine whiteness, allowing it to be displayed as decor and eventually become part of his collection.

"Animal bones inspire many artists' works, and American photographer Irving Penn is one of them," he adds. "I don’t specifically go out to buy or search for them; if I come across something and clean it myself, that is already a reason to collect."

Sandy Choi is certainly known in the design world. He is a seasoned graphic designer involved in design, advertising, and education for nearly thirty years. He has worked at world-renowned design firms and multinational advertising agencies and has won numerous design awards.

Aside from being a design guru, another lesser-known identity is that of a collector—although Sandy has always resisted such a title.

"The term 'collector' is more neutral. I don't collect things in a very 'specialized' fashion; it's not like I'm focused on antiques from 1920s Shanghai or Art Deco objects. I can't be regarded as a 'collector'. I collect things."

Walking into his studio, one can see an assortment of items. Among the expected piles of books, magazines, vinyls, and posters, there are also many personal belongings, each with its own story.

For instance, a unicycle was a gift to him from a friend who moved to Canada. This friend was a former member of the Hong Kong cycling team. "This unicycle is even older than the Wong Kam Po (a Hong Kong racing cyclist) era! It was designed as a training unicycle in collaboration with Shen Jin-kang (a renowned cycling athlete and coach), the former head coach of the Hong Kong cycling team, and it was built by Shen and fellow cyclists by hand."

Sandy is no athlete, but he finds this unicycle quite interesting: "It’s designed to be practical, and the Hong Kong cycling team has always been low-key, putting in a lot of effort while remaining humble. This unicycle represents them well."

The beauty of a bicycle can be seen in different ways. It also holds a subtle charm that only true collectors can appreciate. For example, one might compare it to the beautifully designed banknotes they have collected. Sandy describes banknotes as self-promotion for a country with the subtext, "What do you want to showcase to the world?" He suggests that what people often refer to as soft skills is embodied in these designs.

For example, one might compare it to the beautifully designed banknotes they have collected. Sandy describes banknotes as self-promotion for a country with the subtext, "What do you want to showcase to the world?" He suggests that what people often refer to as soft skills is embodied in these designs.

He also has an entire book of stamps featuring portraits of Lenin. "I was obsessed with those for a while, frantically searching for them as well; those designs were truly influential political promotions."

Sandy’s other collections vary and are closely related to his tastes and memories. For example, he has a plectrum for the Japanese shamisen, which inspired late architect I.M. Pei when designing the clock tower for Shinji Shumeikai; A videotape of Yasujiro Ozu’s "Tokyo Story," which he found at home during a typhoon day; A pack of batteries that a colleague brought back from Japan, which he still hasn't opened; Letters and design ideas from Henry Steiner, known as the "Father of Hong Kong Graphic Design," with whom he worked for two years and has maintained contact ever since. What he preserves is not just a collection of objects but also the warmth of human connections.

Sandy selected 33 items from his collection to exhibit at this year's deTour design festival, titled "Being Transferred.” This exhibition raises the question of what one possesses among all these objects.

This journey began for Sandy in 2020 during the pandemic; he opened an Instagram account to share his collection, accompanied by short texts expressing his feelings.

Driven by self-awareness and reflection, he expanded his social media presence into the real world. At the end of each year, he prints 500 little books that compile his posts from that year, distributing them to friends and clients as keepsakes. He has "published" four volumes and is preparing to create the fifth, transitioning from a collector to a provider.

"A friend joked that even if all the content on Instagram vanished, there’s still a physical book that recorded everything." Sandy believes that even if everything is gone one day, the spirit is preserved in the book.

People who collect things must encounter the process of decluttering. However, Sandy disagrees with the need to practice it: "If something is gone, it’s gone."

In other words, if there was a reason to keep something in the first place, there’s no reason to discard it.

Sandy keeps that most crucial design in his heart —when his daughter was in high school, she asked Sandy to design a tattoo for her. "Wow! That was one of the greatest challenges of my life as a designer."

Finally, he came up with a simple yet profound line: "Designed by Sandy Choi," and suggested his daughter get it tattooed on the back of her neck.

"Awesome! But I'm not getting that on my body," his daughter said. Even though the “client” may not have accepted the design, Sandy had created the most satisfying work in his design career, which he would cherish forever.

deTour 2024 – design festival

Having → Being: Designing Inner Worlds

Date｜2024.11.29 - 12.15

Venue｜PMQ (35 Aberdeen Street, Central, Hong Kong)

Entrance Fee: Free

Detail ｜http://detour.hk/