Enlightening the public

Tsai Lin (蔡霖) sells the sort of lamps one would expect to find in the basement of the Eslite Bookstore on Dunhua South Road (誠品畫廊 / 台北市敦化南路一段243號), amongst all the other creative innovations from local designers. But he is not one of Taipei's design elite, nor is he earning a mint from his hobby-turned-profession. Instead, Tsai's unique lamps made from recycled materials appeal to both contemporary designers and environmentally conscious consumers.

Although transforming used plastic, bottles, jars and toys into table lamps has earned him praise from the local fashion scene, in addition to a few magazines and newspapers articles, Tsai struggles to pay the rent for his small shop. Like any designer, he hopes to someday see his logo on lamps sold around the world. In the meantime, he is realistic about such ambitions and he also sells secondhand furniture and and other items.

Not formally trained as an artist, Tsai considers himself an entrepreneur. Before investing all his savings into his lamp business five years ago, he ran a coffee shop and sold paintings from local artists. His first attempt at manufacturing and selling lamps was run from a combined coffee and tea store, but as the volume of secondhand merchandise increased, the tables were removed.

It's a shame to see Tsai's talent buried amongst the secondhand bags and toys, but until the public is enlightened about the potential for refuse material the clutter is necessary to make ends meet, he said.

"More people have shown an interest in vintage furniture and ornaments but lamps made from empty cleaning pro-duct bottles, are still unusual to most people."

The general public could also use a few lessons on appropriate lighting, according to Tsai, who claimed it was the most overlooked aspect of a living space. "Most people don't use suitable lighting. Florescent bulbs are fine for the office, but unacceptable in a home," he said recommending four or five light sources per room.

Lamps can be subdivided into those for ambiance (to illuminate a room), those for work (for reading) and those for mood (to provide an accent). Many homes have replaced glaring overhead lights with dimmers and softer bulbs, but few take into consideration the importance of good mood lighting, which can add a sense of style to the room, Tsai said.

His lamps use 10-watt to 20-watt bulbs so they are ill-suited for work lighting, but they are economical and fun. He divides his products into two types: those focusing on color and those in which shape, pattern or size is most significant. The former are made from empty plastic containers and colored bulbs, while the latter include toys, baskets and glass jars, all of which use white bulbs and create shadow effects on the wall.

Utilizing recycled materials makes Tsai's designs one-of-a-kind, but it also limits the amount of mass-production he can do. He has patented a logo -- KTWF -- which is written on every piece, but he is keen to license out the copyright to interested companies. So far, his requests have been from students eager to learn the trade.

"Ideally I would like to have two lines -- one for consumer use and a separate line for design exhibitions," he said.

Tsai has difficultly reaching the mainstream consumer due to his poor location. Though located only minutes from the central shopping district of Zhongxiao, apart from visitors on their way to Shenkeng (深坑) or Muzha (木柵), few others pass-by this quaint shop located in the Da'an district.