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Gertrude Wong

Gertrude Wong

Meet Hong Kong-based multidisciplinary designer and creative director, Gertrude Wong.

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a Hong Kong-based multidisciplinary designer and creative director of Studio Bien Bien. I graduated from the School of Design, GBC Toronto and moved back to Hong Kong to kickstart my career. Since then I’ve gained many lovely friends, colleagues, ex-colleagues, two cats, and a soon to be wife.

 

Describe the city you’re living in and what it’s like to live there.

Hong Kong is all hustle and bustle. It is multicultural and always evolving, that’s what I love about it. If you like a fast-paced lifestyle, this is the place to be. The cost of living is probably among the highest in the world, which means you not only have to work fast, but hard all the time.

 

Hong Kong is all hustle and bustle. It is multicultural and always evolving, that’s what I love about it.

 

What is the best and worst thing about living in your city?

The best thing is the liveliness of the city, I love it, there is always something happening, new places to check out every day. It’s truly a city that never sleeps.

The worst thing would be a politically related matter, more and more so in recent years, the lack of good leadership and management from the government can be devastating and disappointing.

 

Give us 3 words that describe what it’s like to be a creative in your city.

Efficient, Passionate, Confident

 

How did you start your career in art?

I kickstarted my career by being selective. By this, I mean reaching out only to the people that I really want to work with. It is important to learn from the right people, the right match. Even if the studios were not hiring, it never hurts to introduce yourself. I am very fortunate that these designers became great mentors throughout my career.

 

It is important to learn from the right people, the right match.

 

Were the people around you supportive of your decision on working as a creative?

Yes, extremely! I would give all the credit to my wonderful mother that I look up to the most. I was one of those Asian kids that took interest in art classes when I was growing up, thought I definitely wanted to be an artist, so Fine arts was the way to go! Turns out, I hated it first year into University, and oh my did I started to skip a lot of the classes, of course, my grades reflected that. My mom said to me one day, “If you are not enjoying it, let’s stop, we will find something you want.”  It was such a prominent encouragement in my life and till this day its still the best decision that I’ve ever made in my life. My mother is like my Yoda.

 

What are some goals and ambitions you have for your future work?

Other than my current studio. I would love to venture on product design and building an original brand of my own. Taking advantage of my expertise and putting it into lifestyle products.

 

I would love to venture on product design and building an original brand of my own.

If you could collaborate with any person in the world who would it be?

I feel like this might change often on my list, but currently, it would be Susan Te Kahurangi King, a unique and amazing artist from New Zealand. As a young child, King stopped speaking and has since been diagnosed as severely autistic. She has been creating art since a child, and still passionate and going strong at the age of 69.

 

How would you describe the women around you?

They are strong, mature, witty, charismatic and unique in every way.

 

They are strong, mature, witty, charismatic and unique in every way.

Were there any local female creatives that you looked up to when you were growing up?

None, they were mostly male while I was growing up. I absolutely don’t think that is a bad thing, it will just make female creatives more determined and stronger than ever. I bet if you ask younger generations the same question nowadays, they could name you plenty.

 

Are there any challenging aspects of being a female in your industry?

To be very honest, I don’t think the challenge is from the industry. The challenge that I see most often is very universal, it is the balance between work and family. Natural stages of womanhood like starting a family, raising a child or multiple children, etc.

 

Trust your instinct, be sensible, be humble.

Do you have any advice to young women who are aspiring to work in your field?

Read all the other advices from this community. Trust your instinct, be sensible, be humble. Help each other and have fun!

 

 

Photos courtesy of Gertrude Wong.

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