The Hip-Pop SIGNBOARD CARVER • Craftsman Shows How to Make • George Town • MALAYSIA
Channel: Oxlaey
Date: 2015-09-16

Master Lee is a wood carver. He creates Chinese signboards and modern art by mixing old traditions with modern methods. In this video he demonstrates how a signboard is made and discussed how he has brought this old tradition into the modern day.  

Listen to more great music at these artists’ SoundCloud pages:

"NINO BEATS - CHINESE" by NINO BEATS 
https://soundcloud.com/nino-beats
https://soundcloud.com/nino-beats/nino-beats-instrumental-1

“orientation" by birocratic
https://soundcloud.com/birocratic
https://soundcloud.com/birocratic/orientation

“Beijing" by Maper74
https://soundcloud.com/maper74
https://soundcloud.com/maper74/beijing-rain

"Chinese Love (Carlos De Jesus Remix)" by Lorenzo Da Jones
https://soundcloud.com/lorenzo_dj
https://soundcloud.com/lorenzo_dj/lorenzo-da-jones-chinese-love-cdj-remix

“Asia prod. X eYe $" by X eYe. $
https://soundcloud.com/x-eye
https://soundcloud.com/x-eye/asia-prod-x-eye

“Chinatown" by LFonto (Official)
https://soundcloud.com/lfonto
https://soundcloud.com/lfonto/chinatown

"Giovanni Spagnolo - Chinatown (Original mix)” by giovannispagnolo 
https://soundcloud.com/giovannispagnolo
https://soundcloud.com/giovannispagnolo/giovanni-spagnolo-in-china-original-mix

"Teoiric-Chinese folk hop" by Teoiric
https://soundcloud.com/teoiric
https://soundcloud.com/teoiric/teoiric-chinese-folk-hop

"SanSan - Asian Acid - UTCWIRED.NET" by UTC WIRED
https://soundcloud.com/utc-wired
https://soundcloud.com/utc-wired/sansan-asian-acid-utcwired-net

Dan Wojahn was the Sound Editor. Listen to more at: www.soundcloud.com/dajahn 

The Hip-Pop SIGNBOARD CARVER is part of the mygeorgetown film project, made possible by a grant from Think City (www.thinkcity.com.my). Thanks also to Team 108 in Singapore (www.team108.com) for loaning equipment for the production and audio mastering. A big thanks also to Canon Malaysia (www.canon.com.my) for supporting the screening of the mygeorgetown films by providing a 5000 lumen projector during the 2015 George Town Festival.

The Hip-Pop Signboard Carver

Master Lee is a wood carver. He creates Chinese signboards and modern art by mixing old traditions with modern methods. In this video he demonstrates how a signboard is made and discussed how he has brought this old tradition into the modern day.  

"My name is Lee Chee Cheng. I’m a woodcarver. I love art. I can release some pressure. When you carve up the thing, then you feel very satisfied.”

Creating a signboard involves several steps. First, Mr. Lee chooses the wood and prepares it by spraying a coat of paint. 

Secondly, he prepares the Chinese calligraphy.

He uses several modern tools to speed up the process but still about 90% has to be done by hand - working with the chisel and sandpaper. 

"We need fast. If you go slow, you can’t make money.” 

Signboards are almost always painted in red or black color. That’s because with yellow or green boards, the Chinese letters won’t be visible when - later - they are filled with gold leaf. 

This particular board is a family signboard but Mr. Lee has also done some modern art collaborations, for example with the street artist, Ernest Zacharevic.