Gloria Chan, the founder of Gloria’s Handicraft Studio, has released a new book filled with stories from her childhood and youth, tracing her journey to becoming the chairwoman of the Hong Kong Teddy Bear Association. She is a talented teddy bear artist as well as an instructor who teaches the art of making them."
In the opening of her book, Gloria writes: 'From page one to twenty-two, it’s all my story. You will be surprised to find that I am not the person you imagined me to be. It hasn't been particularly fun, as it required a lot of hard work and sacrifice. The publisher kept every word because they believed my life story was truly worth recording.'
The book consists of 186 pages filled with full-color photographs and is written entirely in Chinese.
(Page 55) "I was a naughty girl in my youth. Whenever I encountered something that piqued my curiosity, I would pretend to be a newspaper reporter to interview the artist," Gloria says.
(Page 65) The book is filled with Gloria’s memories, including a story about a young man who walked into her shop to buy a gift for his girlfriend. "He asked me to write 'Love You Forever' on the gift." Gloria looked at him and said, "Maybe you should give that some more thought." The man replied, "She is a very beautiful girl and I like her a lot, but it seems she doesn't feel the same way about me." Gloria asked, "How old are you?" — 23. "How old is the girl?" — Also 23. "At what age do you hope to get married?" — Around 30. "And when you do get married, how old do you want your bride to be?
The young man hesitated for a moment and then said, "Not older than 25.
(Page 74) "This is a story about a man who owned seven gold mines. He was one of my customers. It’s a sad story—even though she possessed immense wealth, he was still unhappy.
Gloria plans to write a book about haute couture for teddy bears in the future, providing detailed instructions on how to create professional garments. 'I hope this teddy bear clothing book will be available in both Chinese and English. If this new book sells well, the publication of the clothing book will become a reality.
Gloria has traveled to many cities around the world to meet with artists and exhibition promoters, attend classes, and connect with collectors.
Ref: Bearsandbuds provides a brief overview.
The Artistry of Gloria’s Handmade Teddy Bears
China's Pride – The Space Bear – The Astronaut | Bear Of China
On October 15, 2003, China’s Shenzhou 5 spacecraft successfully launched into space, marking a historic milestone for China's aerospace industry and a source of pride for the Chinese nation. At that time, a wave of 'aerospace fever' swept through both mainland China and Hong Kong. This enthusiasm reached its peak when Mr. Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut, visited Hong Kong. It also inspired me to create an 'Aerospace Bear'—both to commemorate this significant event for the Chinese people and because we, as Chinese, had never before had a teddy bear themed around this subject.
Afterword
"After completing the first Aerospace Bear, I created another one. Although the settings remained the same, I wanted to ensure the original stayed one-of-a-kind. Therefore, for 'Aerospace Bear No. 2' (left), I only added the national flag and the HKSAR regional flag. Looking ahead, I believe China will have even more manned space missions. As I write this, I’ve heard that 'Shenzhou 6' will soon be launched, this time carrying two astronauts. Perhaps one day, my Aerospace Bears could even evolve into a complete series!"
HKTBA 經典系列 – The Classic Series
大阿哥 – (The Eldest Prince)
第一次造中國服飾熊是在二○○ 一年。那年韓國的泰迪熊會舉辦第一 屆熊展和比賽,邀請香港熊會參展。 當時全世界的造熊事業相當興旺。我 閱讀英、美、澳洲等地的熊雜誌,覺 得人們為了湊中國熱而造一些穿中國 衣飾的熊。在我眼中,總覺得外國人 做唐裝的手工粗疏,市井味重而且欠 缺對中國文化的理解。
想到要帶領香港熊會的一眾會員 到韓國參展,我便用心研製了一隻清 朝王子熊,讓外國人明白甚麼是中國 獨有的絲網織錦、中國式刺繡、絲裏、 包邊、綑邊、中國繩結和鈕子等。
我用了整整一個月,精心完成了 一隻清朝王子熊,我的學生們給它取 名「大阿哥」。結果「大阿哥」連同 我的其他三隻熊一併被韓國泰迪熊博 物館收購。後來,我又因應中國發生 的大事,完成了其他的中國熊。
我特地採用中國獨有的織錦和絲殺造了一隻穿清朝男子裝的熊。因為它的服飾 華貴,學生們都稱呼它為「大阿哥」。後來,熊被韓國熊博物館買了,兩年後我重 了一隻「大阿哥」,它便成為了我的中國熊系列的一分子。
製作日期:二〇〇一年
熊身高:十八吋
Afterword
館藏:韓國泰迪熊博物館收購
二阿哥 – (The 2nd Elder Prince)
二阿哥以清朝王子為藍圖的設計。小熊講究而 高貴的服飾,配合高傲的神態與姿勢, 可以看出製造者與小熊一樣,對造型要 求一絲不苟。
製作人:Gloria Chan
產地:香港
製作年份:2003
表層材質: Schute Mohai
填充物:Polyfill
顏色:淺啡色
高度:15吋
四肢:轉軸
配件:唐裝一套、玉佩一個、香紙扇一把限量數目:5件定價:HK$13,000
Afterword
館藏:德國網上熊博物館收藏
皇太子 – (The Prince Imperial）
我又用不同的清朝服飾表達 前人的穿衣文化。
玉墜子和香囊總教叫人聯想 到浪漫的愛情故事,加上墨鏡, 就像末代皇帝ù儀。
製作日期:二○○三年 熊身高:十六吋
Afterword
格格 – (The Princess)
中國熊系列當然要有一位衣著華麗的女孩。翻查了好些中國服裝的參考書,然後製作了這隻女裝泰迪熊。它的服裝特點 織錦上衣的襟前和衣袖都有花卉圖案的刺繡。裙子前幅有絲線編織的流蘇和中國 結,頭上還有的髮髻和頭飾。格格真是比大阿哥複雜得多喇!製作日期:二○○二年熊身高:十八吋
Afterword
小格格 – (The Little Princess)
中國熊系列當然要有一位衣著華麗的女孩。翻查了好些中國服裝的參考書,然後製作了這隻女裝泰迪熊。它的服裝特點 織錦上衣的襟前和衣袖都有花卉圖案的刺繡。裙子前幅有絲線編織的流蘇和中國 結,頭上還有的髮髻和頭飾。格格真是比大阿哥複雜得多喇!
製作日期:二○○二年熊身高:十八吋