Rita HUANG ⿈秀娟
ARTWORKS | NEWS
Rita Huang (b. 1970) is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Professional and Vocational Education at the Education University of Hong Kong. A certified instructor and board member of the Japan Temari Association, she has studied under Professor Takahara Teruko and has been dedicated to temari creation, teaching, and promotion for over a decade. Since 2017, she and her students have exhibited works in Japan, Taiwan, and Mainland China. In 2019, her work was awarded the Mainichi Shimbun Prize at the Akita National Temari Competition in Japan.
Temari (てまり, temari, 手鞠) is a traditional Japanese craft with a history spanning over a thousand years. Its origins trace back to kemari, a ball game introduced to Japan during the Tang Dynasty. By the Heian period, it became popular among Kyoto’s court nobles and evolved into hand-crafted temari. Eventually, it spread among the general public through court ladies. Materials and techniques for making temari vary by region, but the craft typically involves wrapping thread into a spherical shape and embroidering patterns on its surface. Temari are traditionally gifted to young girls during New Year celebrations or to daughters leaving home for marriage, symbolizing care and remembrance. Temari faced near extinction in Japan with the rise of modern technology and the introduction of other crafts. Simpler crafts that required less time began to overshadow the labor-intensive art of temari. However, recent efforts by Japanese government agencies and temari groups have revitalized this art form through exhibitions and workshops, bringing temari back into the spotlight and gaining enthusiasts worldwide.
As Hong Kong’s first temari promoter and the first and only non-Japanese board member of the Japan Temari Association, Rita Huang has trained dozens of certified students across Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Her goal is to introduce more people to the culture and techniques of temari-making.
⿈秀娟(b.1970)，⽬前於⾹港教育⼤學攻讀教育榮譽學⼠(專業及職業教育)。 為⽇本てまりの会理事，擁有教授認證，師承⾼原曄⼦教授, 與⼿毬結緣⼗多年並致⼒於創作、教學與推廣，2017年起攜同學⽣們於⽇本、台灣及內地展出。作品於2019年獲得⽇本秋⽥全國⼿毬⽐賽每⽇新聞社賞。
⼿毬(てまり、temari、⼿鞠)是⽇本的傳統⼯藝，已有千年的歷史，其雛形為唐朝東渡⾄⽇本的蹴鞠發展⽽來。於⽇本平安時代以後，在京都的公卿貴族間流⾏了起來，從此轉變為⽤⼿把玩的⼿毬，後經宮⼥外傳始於⺠間普遍傳開來。 因地域不同，⼿毬所 使⽤材料也各有異，⼀般⽤線纏繞捲成圓球，再於表⾯繡上圖案。於正⽉新年時，送給⼩⼥孩把玩或於⼥兒出嫁遠⾏時贈與，以表思念關懷之情。在⽇本，⼿毬曾有⼀段時間頻臨消失的危機; 這項既傳統⼜神秘的⼿⼯藝隨著科技的進步和世界各地的⼿⼯藝引⼊⽇本，⼈們在對新事物的好奇及被能在較短時間內完成的新⼿作所吸引，⽽需要⻑時間製作的⼿毬就漸漸的被淡忘了。近年在⽇本各地的政府機構和⺠間⼿毬團體的推動下，各類展⽰和教學活動，使得⼤家能更親近⼿毬，⼿毬⼜再度展現光芒，世界各地亦有許多的愛好者在⾃⼰的國度內展⽰與推廣。
⾝為⾹港⾸位⼿毬推廣者及⽇本てまりの会的⾸位及唯⼀的⾮⽇本⼈理事，在中國⼤陸、台灣及⾹港已經培育出數⼗位擁有專業認證的學員，期望能讓更多⼈接觸⼿毬⽂化與技術。