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For Eveline Ko, art has always flowed through her veins. Her father was a master painter, specialising in both Eastern and Western aesthetics, and Eveline grew up with a deep appreciation for art and its potential to bridge cultures. Following a more traditional educational background and career route in banking and finance, Eveline decided to take a leap of faith to follow her creative passions. She embarked on exploring the rich culture of traditional art and crafts such as ceramics, painting and sculpture, until she discovered the transformative power of glassblowing. When sand meets heat, it unleashes the freedom of hot molten glass as it flows and transforms into a dynamic new form: a piece of art that captures the energy and spirit of the material and the artist.
Herewith, a dream was born. Eveline’s interest in glass brought her to the United States to study glassblowing, glass chemistry and design. She then ventured to Shanghai, China, to develop a world-class glass art workshop. Today, a residency program brings glass masters from around the world to this unique space; it is a crucible for sharing ideas, melding cultures, and exploring the vast possibilities of glass. This is the embodiment of Eveline’s philosophy; this is AEfolio.
AEfolio is a Hong Kong-based home decor company that focuses on beautiful handmade objects d’art, crafted in the finest glass. From vases and sculptures to lighting and fine jewellery, each piece in the collection has been designed to celebrate the beauty of glass: vivid colours, crystal-like clarity, and magical luminosity. Each piece is produced one at a time using traditional glassworking methods: handblowing, casting, and fusing. The company honours the scale of artisan production and ensures that every piece meets our high bar for quality.
Find out more at www.aefolio.com
Can you share your journey of setting up AEfolio?
My background is in accounting, finance and taxation and I was a Certified Public Accountant in the USA. In Hong Kong, I joined Deloitte. Deloitte had always served big companies and I was later offered a position in one of the Fortune 500 companies, one with headquarters based in Shanghai. There in Shanghai, I worked as an in-house tax, finance and restructuring advisor, overseeing 13 countries across the Asia Pacific region. Back then, my travel back and forth was very extensive and every month, I’d visit somewhere new for the company. This tenure lasted around 15 years. When covid hit in 2020/2021, I decided to retire to pursue my next phase of life.
During my experience in Shanghai, I’d worked with many multinational companies and I encountered a glass factory. Even back then, I was very intrigued by the art of glass. From a young age, I’ve been passionate and interested in arts and originally wanted to pursue the School of Arts in university. But back in those days, my parents didn’t approve so I went into finance instead. This “artistic career” didn’t start till after my retirement from finance. During these times of change, I also moved back to Hong Kong. Now we have two retail outlets in Hong Kong - currently in Ocean Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui and on 12/F of Sogo in Causeway Bay.
What are some key observations you can share from your initial impression of the glass factory?
When I encountered the glass factory in Shanghai, my initial observations were that as Chinese artisans and craftsmen, we can produce better quality. I communicated this with the owner of the factory. Also, I felt we should be competitive in terms of price, quality and our original designs - producing original designs is the best respect to give to the glass artisans. On the world stage, we don’t want people viewing glassware from China as replica, low quality products as this is the contrary to the quality I observed from the factory. Nor should we compete with the lowest price. I therefore felt I should invest my resources to help them elevate this industry, contributing capital and time and expertise by connecting the right parties in Europe and America to help them expand, as well as proper training, inviting designers and craftsmen internationally to collaborate and learn from each other.
What about the artisans and craftsmen?
The Chinese artisans have a strong desire to learn to do better and keep improving, as long as they have the opportunity to learn more, they will. They just need to find the right leader.
Artisans from the States are equally open, adept to learning and willing to share their experience. They happily share their expertise, knowledge and craft with our Chinese artisans. After this sharing and training in the workshop, we ensure the quality, designs and the colour pairings produced by our Chinese artisans are among the best in the world.
What are the most important aspects to create quality glassware?
The most valuable thing about each glass factory is their formula - this includes the quality of the glass they produce, which will affect how well it sells and the overall public perception. Technology integrated in the factory as well as the technique of the artisans are also very important. The workers must also all do their part to synergize and create the perfect chemistry.
Are you involved in the design and craft process as well as driving the business?
I also have over a decade of experience of training in glassblowing (I used to fly to the States for training for a month every year). But I’m mainly in charge of overseeing the designs of the collections and choosing the colour combinations. I know what techniques make each piece unique and how each piece can harmonise both in colours and styles to suit refined interior settings.
What is the biggest niche of the brand and what is your vision for it?
This can be summed up by 1.colours. 2.quality and 3.our designs. My vision for AEfolio is to create an affordable luxury glassware brand. Something that’s beautiful and unique but everyone can afford, enjoy and appreciate in their own homes. Ultimately, we bring the world together by bridging the east and west: refining master techniques from the west with new energy and ideas from the east.
