They are really not casual words! His candles are too crazy to imagine. Two years ago, he found from his family's home many vintage goods including a dusty hardcover dictionary, a film camera and an old telephone. He moulded them with silicon and then poured in liquid wax so as to make candles of the same size and shapes of those objects with unimaginable authenticity and exquisiteness.

"These classics were once popular but they're quietly gone as they're replaced with digital products...... It's like the lighted candles melt away gradually," explained Xavier the concept of making behind.

These works opened up his mind to further his candle design and hence the establishment of his own brand BeCandle. He focuses on the design while his long-time friend Gary works on marketing to tap the endless candle world.

And this world seems more interesting. Following the vintage series, they manufacture funny candles in the shapes of Christmas trees, Mounts Fuji and skulls. Not until late last year when Xavier went to an old congee shop in Sham Shui Po for his favourite steamed rice rolls did he suddenly realize he could use liquid wax as rice milk to make rice roll candles.

So he really tried hard on his own to make his rice roll candles by rolling up the sliced half-melting wax followed by having them diced and topped with sweet sauce wax. What an unprecedented dish of steamed rice rolls!!

Since this pilot experiment gave Xavier more confidence, he couldn't stop creating more complicated “dim sum” comprising different kinds of “steamed dumplings” like Xiao Long Bao. All are hand-wrapped-and-pressed with the use of colourful liquid wax, and no one can imagine how real they look like!

Lit inside the dim sum baskets, these candles are placed by the shop windows of BeCandle. However fast the passers-by walk along, they cannot but stop to take a curious peek at the art pieces with a knowing smile.

"Some people think the only reason we do these Cantonese dim sums is to express our feelings about Hong Kong...... In fact, I just find the inspiration in my everyday life. I’d also like to show how innovative candles can be and to bring some unexpected humourous designs for household goods," elaborated Xavier.

BeCandle is also planning to offer more DIY workshops to teach people how to make dim sum candles so as to explore more interesting possibilities.

"The best idea is that we make dim sum candles and chefs are invited to make the real versions of the same and all end-products are put together. I’m sure this will be a lot of fun," laughed Xavier.

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