Alumni in Conversation

The art of cultural exchange
以藝術融合中國與猶太文化

A CityU graduate blends Jewish and Chinese traditions in her work and life
城大畢業生醉心藝術,藉生活與創作,推動文化交流
Carol Man Wing-yan
文穎恩
Master of Business Administration
工商管理學碩士

Visual Artist / Founder, Mangraphy Limited
視覺藝術家 / 文圖志有限公司創辦人
Guest interviewer: alumnus Hinz Pak
特邀記者:白宇軒校友

Carol was raised in a Yuen Long village in Hong Kong where, deeply influenced by her family, she grew up with a great respect for traditional Chinese culture. When she met her then Israeli fiancé, she became interested in Jewish history and culture, converting to Judaism ahead of her marriage.

Nourishing quest

Carol spent three years learning about Jewish beliefs, festivals, and ethics, as well as the Hebrew language. She found Jewish perspectives on life intriguing, with Jews required to obey many different rules, including dietary restrictions. “In Judaism, the word kosher means food that is in line with these dietary rules,” Carol said. “You can't eat food considered unclean, such as pork. The religion also prohibits food combining meat and milk. For example, Jewish people don't eat cheeseburgers.”

However, there are interesting similarities with Chinese culture too. “In Judaism, shalom bayit means there must be peace at home,” she pointed out. “This echoes the Chinese saying: ‘A peaceful family leads to prosperity, a house divided cannot stand.'”

Intercultural vision

As a visual artist, Carol is keen to bring together Chinese and Jewish cultures through art. She likes to incorporate her personal experiences into her work and to use humour to offer fresh insights into unfamiliar ways of thinking and behaviour.

Seeing words as a particularly potent cultural emissary, she came up with the idea of depicting Hebrew text through Chinese calligraphy. Given that Hebrew uses letters while Chinese is a hieroglyphic language, she portrays Hebrew writing in the form of Chinese radicals, uniquely displaying its beauty through Chinese calligraphy brushwork. She has also created a form of Hebrew similar to a standard Chinese script to introduce the language to Chinese readers in a novel way.

One of Carol's booklets related to Jewish culture and customs.
文穎恩編撰有關猶太文化和習俗的書籍。

Currently, she is producing a series of five pictures featuring Hong Kong and Jewish proverbs. “These are some of my most satisfying works to date because the subjects are life-affirming and weave in many Chinese and Jewish stories.”

Running a studio with MBA mindset

Carol attributes her ability to combine artistic achievement with running a creative studio to the knowledge she gained from her CityU MBA studies, which she emphasises will be of benefit for the rest of her life.

The CityU programme not only equipped her with the know-how to operate and manage a studio from a business perspective, but also to “do the right thing” and how to troubleshoot. She also became more aware of the need to balance artistic creation with marketing and a business outlook, a principle that has helped her sustain a creative career.

Carol working with the Jewish community in Mexico, where she held workshops on Chinese calligraphy, culture, and how to write couplets for Chinese New Year.
文穎恩早前親身到墨西哥與當地猶太社區合作舉辦工作坊,教導當地人書寫揮春,介紹中國書法與文化。

Wider horizons

In addition to art, Carol publishes books and other materials, and holds workshops in Jewish communities around the world. On one occasion, for example, she flew to Mexico with writing brushes and ink sticks to introduce and teach Chinese calligraphy and culture in an innovative and artistic way.

In the future, she intends to continue to promote Chinese culture in Jewish communities in Israel, the US, and Europe. She also hopes that, through her art and publications, an increasing number of Hong Kong people will become familiar with Jewish culture and stories.

元朗圍村長大,從小深受家庭薰陶,文穎恩一直十分尊重中國傳統文化。長大後認識了來自以色列的丈夫,因為愛情漸漸對猶太文化產生興趣,並決定學習更多有關猶太歷史與文化,更於結婚前正式皈依成為猶太教徒。

Carol conceives Hebrew letters in a similar way to Chinese radicals, turning the Hebrew language into quasi characters using Chinese calligraphy.
文穎恩將希伯來文的字母,寫成近似中文字的部首,並以中國書法的筆法,寫成為一套外型近似中文楷書的希伯來文。

從規限中尋找趣味

文穎恩用了三年時間了解猶太教的信仰、節日和道德規條,也學習猶太人的語言—希伯來文。她發現猶太文化充滿趣味,更認為猶太文化與中國文化有不少相同之處。例如中國家庭是傳統的父系社會,以男性為中心;而猶太人的家庭也是以父為主,猶太男孩在13歲時便舉行成人禮,開始遵守律法。她說︰「猶太教有句說話『Shalom bayit』,意思是家裡要有平安,這跟我們中國人說的『家和萬事興,家衰口不停』有著相同的意思。」

至於兩個文化之間的最大差異,她指出在於猶太人需要遵守很多律法。而他們的飲食規條與我們的分別也很大。她舉例說︰「猶太教有一個字—Kosher,意謂不可吃不潔淨的食物,例如豬肉。猶太教也禁止將肉類和奶類一起吃,所以他們不吃芝士漢堡這類食物。」

跨文化的生活藝術表現

作為一個視覺藝術家,文穎恩希望透過藝術推廣中國和猶太文化。她喜歡將個人的生活體驗融入其藝術作品之中,並以幽默的表達方式減低觀眾對陌生文化的距離感。

例如她認為文字最能代表一個文化,因此她想到利用中文的書法來描繪希伯來文字。由於希伯來文是字母組成的語系,而中文則是象形文字的語系,於是她把希伯來文的字母設計成中文字的部首一般,並以中國書法的特有筆法呈現其美態,創造一套外型酷似楷書的希伯來文字,期望以這樣有趣的跨文化方式,將希伯來文介紹給中文讀者。

此外,她正在繪畫的最新作品,以五幅為一系列,以香港和猶太人俗語為題材的圖畫便是一個好例子。她說︰「它們是我最滿意的創作系列,因為題材比較生活化,亦融合了中猶兩文化中的許多小故事。」

One of Carol's creative concepts involves inscribing Chinese-Hebrew calligraphy on small wooden blocks to form Psalms.
文穎恩創新地以中國書法將希伯來文寫在積木上並拼成詩篇章節。

藝術創作vs營運工作室

文穎恩現時擁有自己的創作工作室,她說在城大學習工商管理時獲得的知識,除了讓她學懂如何從商業角度營運和管理工作室,更讓她明白到要「Do the right thing」,和學會解構問題的徵結所在。她深信以自己的經歷和熟知的故事進行創作,就不會為了一個時下的潮流而偏離了大方向。她深深體會這番道理對其創作生涯幫助很大。

積極推動文化交流

除了創作藝術作品外,文穎恩亦出版書籍及其他素材推動文化交流。她亦常到世界各地的猶太社區舉辦工作坊,例如她早前便帶著毛筆、墨盒到墨西哥,以創新藝術方式向當地人介紹中國書法與文化。

展望將來,她希望到以色列、美國和歐洲等地的猶太社區繼續推廣中國文化,她亦期望透過自己的藝術作品和編撰的書籍,讓更多香港人了解猶太文化與他們的故事。
 
About guest interviewer Hinz Pak:
Hinz is a graduate of the CityU Fine Arts in Creative Media master's programme, a member of City AlumNet Advisory Committee, and Founding Designer of Hinz & Kunz creative studio. He has undertaken design and branding projects for a variety of social enterprises, including FAIRTASTE, Green Women, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, and Ginkgo House.

特邀記者白宇軒簡介:
城大創意媒體藝術碩士畢業生及城大校友雜誌的諮委成員。Hinz & Kunz的Founding Designer,他曾與多間社企合作,包括細味公平、綠慧公社、東華三院和銀杏館,設計和營銷它們的品牌。