Mizzonk

Revisiting Blueberry

2011-10-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

Blueberry is a nickname that became the official name for these guys. They are so fun to look at and hold in your hands. When you put one by your phone, it can magically make any pen look special. People love them for their playfulness. I usually warn people who are interested in buying them- I tell them "it only holds the standardized pen." One of the greatest responses was from a guy who said "I will find a pen that fits". He said it with the excitement and smile that I never forget. Another great response was from a lady who bought 12 of them and said "I am just going to look at them; I want to have them around." Obviously, most people who are drawn to the Blueberry is not into practicality first. They were all thinking having fun first; using for pen holder is just a bonus. Then I started having same people coming back for more Blueberries. I was told "They are not just fun; they work so well and I need more." Frankly I never created Blueberry with an intention of making a pen holder; as always, I need to have fun first, not solving problem or designing for specific function. The Blueberry story teaches me to continue having fun and I should continue to believe that there are people who just like me who would love to have simple and playful things around them.

Blueberry by wan-yi lin

A note on “A Moment in Blossom”

2011-04-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

A note on “A Moment in Blossom”, written by Wan-Yi Lin, co-creator

2 weeks ago at our Toronto Spring Show, Roger said to a customer who bought this piece "Did you know Wan-Yi cried when this piece was born?" I was a little bit shocked and embarrassed because Roger brought up my private event in the public. I thought my tearing over this piece was forgotten since we didn't talk about it much afterwards. I was not sure if I was all that ready to be so open to share the deep feeling I have towards our own works. People have said to us that our works are comforting. That's the word- comforting.

Every moment in life changes. We can't predict the future nor can we live in the past. Fortunately, no matter in what stages we are in our lives, we can always choose to live in the moment and make every moment a blossom that a life is meant to be. With that in mind, we insist that every flower blooms differently. I am ready to share the reason for my tears when this piece was born. I saw life is fragile like a piece of paper, easily be torn and fell apart, but with a will to live to the fullest in every moment, could we turn that fragility into eternity? - a blossom that's captured and remembered forever.

Artwork is on promotion from April 18-28 2011. Details here http://mizzonkpromotion.blogspot.com/

Treasures in the Woods

2011-02-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

Some of you know very well that Roger and I love picking wild mushrooms. When we first moved out here, we weren't dare to pick any. There are so many types; we thought, but they can't all be poisonous. There got to be some edible ones. With help of two books, we started to identify and collect them to use in our cooking. November is our busiest month, but what a waste if we can't get out there to collect these gifts from the mother nature. Above are what we picked last November. They have the most amazing tastes.

Mizzonk Promotion will start in Feb. 2011

2010-12-24T20:48:00.001-08:00

We are so happy to announce this great news. Mizzonk will start to offer promotion online for the first time. Check out our first promotion on Feb.6th-20th 2011. Upcoming promotion will be announced a month prior. Make sure to check every month to see the current and upcoming promotions. We plan to rotate items for promotion. If you follow our promotion, hopefully you will be able to collect your favorite pieces and save money at the same time. Please spread the great news!

To Mizzonk Family, from Roger

2010-12-13T17:16:00.000-08:00

Life is so short, all Mizzonk wanted to do is to find people who have the Mizzonk gene. A gene that we are decoding every moment and every breath. You are family.We are so thankful for all of you whom have supported us in the past years. Even the ones that just bought a $6 blueberry holder. without you we will not be able to create works that are sincere and honest to our hearts! We are very fortunate to be able to express our thoughts and ideas without limitations and preconceptions, and still be able to sustain a creative mind in such a material world. The future is going to be exciting. Thank you all.

128 years old Drill Press rescued by Mizzonk

2010-10-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

It is old, but fancy. You can't take your eyes off it.

Roger rescued and restored this old press with his heart and soul. It is now sitting by our door quietly greeting everyone who comes to our showroom. Two years ago, Roger went to an auction. This press caught his eye. It weights a lot and it is old. No one else saw value in this thing, but Roger wanted to take it back to our studio. He placed bids against someone who planed to have it melted. It is now a treasure and an eye opener.

Mind Speaks

2010-10-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

We have been working very hard on our new work. It seems natural to endure, but so hard to remember, the amount of craziness and frustrations occurred before a birth of a rather quiet work. Emotions of a roller- coaster- ride- like soon fade in a quietness of a work that it commands. Only until we decide to take a ride again for a new work to arrive, will we tell our mind not to suffer again just for a passion and a belief it holds. So stubborn that our mind refuses to listen, so beautiful our mind’s only wish is to serve a purpose of its existence.
wan-yi
Oct.10th, 2010

Memory Seal

2010-08-31T14:23:00.000-07:00

First time published online. This is a memory box, like a time capsule that preserves a precious memento. Introduced in the last OOAK shows, a couple purchased as a message box to exchange notes. I thought that idea was beautiful!

"Memory Seal - Part of the Exclusive Mosaic Series, the Memory Seal is an experience to access, treasure and preserve a memory. Concealed in a solid piece of walnut, there is a space for a precious memento. Each step in the experience brings the viewer to pause, observe and listen. A memory is cherished mindfully. - Mizzonk"

The above statement and an instruction card come with the piece. Made out of walnut, the Memory Seal has a tall, solid lid. We just love this unexpected proportion. The massive lid contributes to a natural resonance quality the viewer will notice when the box is closed. Roger designed two custom locks, one on each side for the box to lock in place. The mechanical locking mechanism of the locks are created by spring tension of the wood. To open and close the box, pull the lid straight up and push the lid straight down to fit into the locks. When closing the box, you must match the male key on the underside of the lid to the female key on the top of the base. We think the point of this piece would be totally lost if the box was closed with unmatched wood grains. With implementation of male and female keys, the box will alwasy close seamlessly. We selected a classic motif to put on top of the box to echo the element of time. We hope people will feel time when they handle this piece.

I will never forget the moment when we were brain storming to come up a name for this piece. By the way, we always come up a name after a work is created and finished, not before. My old friend Hannah was right here in our studio when we were naming this piece. That day was our last day spending time together before she moved to another country. She witnessed our process of coming up a name. The process was full of excitement and anticipation. When the words "Memory Seal" burst out between Roger and me, Hannah was so elated and so were we! She was very touched because the name was just perfect for the piece and we felt exactly the same way. It was a perfect moment to share with an old friend that I have known for 24 years when the "Memory Seal" was born. To me, my Memory Seal has since contained not only the moment we shared with her on that day, but my many years of friendship with her. She is on the other side of the globe now and we miss her very much. We love the word "Seal" playing 2 roles in this name. One expresses its physical shape like a seal, a stamp. The other expresses the purpose of the box. We hope you like this piece. If you do, please share this post with your friends. Thank you!

A New Playground

2010-08-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

We had this open space in mind even before the workshop was built. On the blue prints of the studio, we named this space "gallery". For years, we used this space for anything you can think of except gallery space. Finally this summer, we cleared up. I am awed just by sitting in this space. I love the emptiness, so liberating.

Mizzonk "Where are you?" XL in new CIL TV Commercial

2010-06-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

Mizzonk in the new CIL commercial! Has anyone seen it yet? I just saw it twice last week in HGTV and W channel. That IS our XL "Where are you?", nicely hung in a hallway of a well-decorated house. Wait until the kids screaming out Mom; there you see the piece. CIL is a paint company in Canada carried by major retail stores such as Canadian Tire and Rona. We only have so few XL "Where are you?" out there- wonder who lent it or whose house??

MizzonkVideo is now on youtube

2010-03-15T21:29:00.000-07:00

Visit MizzonkVideo channel on you tube.
Finally,the long overdue videos for our interactive work are available now on "A Perfect Arrangement" and "Archive". We are continuing making videos for other work. Please subscribe the channel and leave your comments!

Mizzonk at the Fairmont Hotel 2010

2010-02-10T14:42:00.000-08:00

Great news, Mizzonk artwork are now available at the new Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver. Just in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the brand new Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver opens now. "A Perfect Arrangement", "Mizzonk Inspiration Series" and "Pancake" are available on the merchandise wall collection at the Giovane cafe at the new Fairmont Hotel- 1038 Canada Place.

Antique and Vintage Finds

2010-01-12T18:35:00.000-08:00

We had a lot of fun last weekend in an antique show/flea market. Here are shots of some of things we got. A cast-iron horse carriage toy with 2 riders and 2 ladders, a bracelet that draws my attention- it looks old, but not outdated, a possible 19th c. Chinese peasant octagon bowl, and a variable angle U-joint hand drill. Besides nature, old things are our inspirations. Maybe it is the timeless look. Maybe they had limited resources compared to what we have today and when they had a material to make something, they put in efforts, thoughts and care.

About 2009

2010-01-12T17:41:00.000-08:00

Through retail shows we did in 2009, we felt deeply connected with people who love our work. We were touched by people's words, expressions, and feelings towards our work. Roger and I felt blessed by what we received from people. After all, we are not alone. Often, we create work with our instincts. Our discipline helps us to follow through a very simple instinctual thought that we believe in so much and create a work from it. When someone else other than 2 of us also sees what we see, we feel so happy. Above are shots from our booth at the last One of A Kind Toronto Christmas show.

Mizzonk Interviewed by the Vancouver Sun

2009-10-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

This interview focuses on our journey rather than our work. I think it is good as people can always see our work from lots of photos we have, but to know more about us and our history, it helps to read this interview.

http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Firm+moves+from+York+Maple+Ridge/2085539/story.html

Mizzonk 2009 Fall Events

2009-09-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

One of A Kind Vancouver Show is coming Oct.8-11, 2009 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Mizzonk Booth No. H5. Please come to see our new work. We have been working very hard to finish our new work so we can present at this show. It is always the best time to purchase our collection at shows because we always offer show specials. The next show after will be the 36 Annual Circle Craft, Nov.11-15, 2009 at the Vancouver Convention Centre, Booth 319. Please do not miss the show either because we will have a bigger booth. Therefore, we will bring more and bigger work to the show, such as the famous XL" Where are you?". You will see the stunning piece in person which will be the first time ever we present it in Vancouver. And for those of you in Toronto, we are so happy that we will see you at the One of A Kind Toronto Show, Nov.26- Dec. 6, 2009. Many people said to us at the past spring show in Toronto: "I wish it was Christmas because your pieces make perfect gifts." Don't miss the opportunity to purchase at show specials. For those of you who can never attend our shows to enjoy show specials. We know we should extend to all of you, too. E-mail us what you want to purchase and we will give you the show prices. Show specials are only offered during show dates. Advance orders through e-mails are welcome. Hope to see a lot of familiar faces and meet new people.

Mizzonk in Best of Vancouver 2009

2009-09-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to share this great news with all of you. Mizzonk is editor's pick as the Best Art Studio for Expressionist Home Decor in "Best of Vancouver 2009 by Straight". Please check out the article by Mel Tobias here http://www.straight.com/article-259709/shops-and-services .

Have You Checked It Out Yet? Here it is...

2009-06-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen yet, here it is. Pick up Canadian House and Home Magazine, June 2009.

Return to our studio

2009-06-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

We were away on a trip to Taiwan and spent 40 days visiting families and friends and most importantly re-discovering the country where we were born. We toured eastern and southern parts of Taiwan where it is much less populated. We felt in love with Taidong, a county in south eastern Taiwan where in our opinion is truly the Formosa. The geography in Taidong is rich and dynamic yet very balanced and peaceful. There are ocean, mountains, rivers, and flat lands all within short distance. Here are some pictures from Taidong.

Thank you so much!!

2009-04-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

The response to our work at the One of A Kind Show was incredible. Thank you so much for all of your support and passion which is the fuel that makes us keep going. We for sure want to go back to Toronto again!!

Mizzonk by Apartment Therapy

2009-03-20T15:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Maxwell, thank you so much for such a wonderful coverage on our work. WE LOVE IT! Here it is http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/mizzonk--079777

Interview by Mandarin Magazine, Omni Channel

2009-03-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we were interviewed by Mandarin Magazine from Omni Channel (Multi-cultural Channel). Interview will be aired on Omni Channel April 4 at 4:30 PM and April 8 at 1:30 PM Pacific Standard Time. Interview was conducted in Mandarin. I think we did well. It was our first time using Mandarin describing our work and I like it. After all, it is my first language.

Profiled by Canadian House and Home Magazine

2009-03-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Check out Canadian House and Home Magazine June issue 2009. Mizzonk is featured in Style Profile. We had the greatest time with photographer Kim Christie doing studio shots and speaking to writer Samantha Sacks for the interview.

Roger's Love for Old Things

2009-02-26T15:51:00.000-08:00

The balance above belonged to Roger's Mom's Dad. He used this balance to weight medicine in his medical practice. Roger's mom has kept it in mint condition and asked if we would have use for it. We thought we could use it in our glaze room for weighting fine oxides, but it is such a beautiful object. We end up keeping it on display in the showroom.

Roger loves old tools and old machinery. He would get them from places like auction. Often, he would be bidding against people who want to get for scrap metal. Those tools are still functional and just need new owners who would take care of them and make the best out of them. Roger would get them and take them apart and refurbish them. We use most of the old tools in his collection in making our work here. Yes, they are not just collectible; they are functional and essential to our studio.

Mizzonk- Interview by Gift and Home Channel

2009-02-20T13:20:00.000-08:00

Vedio Interview by Gift and Home Channel

A Perfect Arrangement

2008-09-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we created a face book page for "A Perfect Arrangement"

There is a story on how "A Perfect Arrangement" came about?

I did an installation called "A Story" which contains over 1000 mini clay pots. I changed the installation everyday. At the end of my project, I felt compelled with the process that I went through, not so much about the change on the looks of the installation through time, but converstations that I had with myself during the course. I realized the process was very solitary and therapeutic. I made discoveries about myself through interacting with my work. I decided to create an artwork that will allow the viewers to do what I do as an artist. A Perfect Arrangement is the result of an intention to encourge you to create an artwork and recognize that it is perfect because it is from you.

Where are you?

2008-09-18T16:31:00.002-07:00

A blank white card is cut into a sea of panels. An array of shades is created by pushing the panels inward and outward. While the title speaks of the playfulness and humor in the act of pushing the panels, it contains a conceptual meaning in questioning the viewer’s existence. Wan-Yi, 2006

"Where are you?" was an image submitted for the "Architectural and the Mail" project lead by Architectural league of New York in 2006. Though our submission was chosen, the project later got canceled. I wrote the description to describe this image and gave it the title for the submission. The project called for images to be made into postcards and sent to 1000 influential people in the world in the fields of designs and arts to create discourse. The intention of the project is beautiful. I thought this image would just be perfect as mail art. Later we developed this image into a framed artwork and included in a whole collection called Mizzonk Inspiration Series.

Mizzonk's first blog

2008-06-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

I am excited that Mizzonk now have a blog spot to write about us and our work. Yesterday, I spoke to our web designer Noom about establishing a blog where we can informally write just about anything. Less than a day, I took his advice to sign up with Blogger. I am glad that it was simple and easy. We look forward to filling our blog with many little behind the scene stories that happen at Mizzonk.