Process

Five artist books are created to give an understanding to the essence of this traditional culture. An overview on the study — all three temples feature recurring design elements which might have originated from the same sources, namely, Southern Chinese architecture. Some of these elements also bear certain universal Chinese elements, symbolic motifs which are unique to the Chinese collective identity. Because these are religious compounds, a key inspiration for the design of such temples would lie upon Chinese appropriations of Buddhist, Taoist and Confucianist symbolism. The remaining question would be whether or not they are distinctively Hokkien elements, one which would require a cross examination with design elements of other Chinese dialect groups, especially in Singapore. This is not defined within the scope of this project, and therein lies a fundamental limitation. Yet, it is acknowledged that these fall within the Hokkien sphere of temple design, a crucial starting point for further understanding. Comparing upon the parameters of recurrent symbolic content, the material aspect of Hokkien temple design is far from stagnant. This deals more specifically in the technique and proficiency in representation, structural innovations as well as the use and mastery of different materials. The dominant insight that can be drawn by comparing the design elements of these three temples would be that they are unified by a dominant belief system which dictated the usage of motifs.