Western Terrace: Lunar New Year In Spirit and Belly

Emma Cao is an arts worker living on the traditional lands of the Cadigal, Wangal and Bediagal clans of the Dharug nation. They are amused and inspired by ritualistic practices found in nature and our everyday routine as constructive tools and forms of healing. Passionate about collective and collaborative living, they are committed to fostering meaningful connections and interactions with and for community. 

Image Credit: Supplied by Emma Cao

Tea Craft was founded in 2007. Our goal was to bring quality loose leaf tea direct from their origins in Asia and show the Australian hospitality industry how to serve them practically but purposefully.

We were attempting to guide people away from the wastefulness of tea bags and the pointlessness of added flavouring. Having good brewing techniques and well-chosen leaf is plenty enough.

To this day, our goal remains largely unchanged though our methods and reach continue to evolve. 

Arthur Tong:

Arthur co-founded Tea Craft along with his friend Tjok Gde Kerthyasa. There was a time when Arthur would go door-to-door introducing tea to top-tier restaurants and cafes. Thankfully those days are long gone -having endeared himself to the hospo inner circles over the years he is affectionately referred to as “uncle” of tea. It’s all he’s ever hoped for.

Lynn Sioson:

She’s been the backbone of Tea Craft since its inception. In the early years while pregnant, Lynn would mortar and pestle spices on her home balcony to make the company’s signature masala chai. To this day, it is still mostly her handy work you taste in every blend - same amount of love and care, just done perhaps in less lofty and barefoot conditions. 

Image: Supplied by Tea Craft

Feral4Eats is a collaboration between Bonnie and Kevin to share their passion for food while creating vibrant eating experiences for their communities. 

Bonnie Huang is a multi-disciplinary artist playing and creating with dreams and textures on Dharug land. They aim to create intimate yet subversive spaces for reflection on desire and belonging– reflecting on how memory and culture informs the construction of self-identity and communities. 

They are the recipient of Parramatta Artists’ Studios 2024 Fellowship, a participant in PAS Open 2023, and were awarded the USU Creative Awards Prize from Verge Gallery in 2021. Recent exhibitions include Pari, Verge Gallery, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Blacktown Arts Centre and Firstdraft.

Kevin Zhen works in sustainability procurement, promoting the engagement of social enterprises and ethical and environmental practices. He cooks meals that share the same sentiment by sourcing produce from local aunties, uncles and farmers and learning from his local library and the school of Youtube. With Feral4Eats, Kevin hopes to share his food and cooking experiences since moving to Wangal Land with his communities. 

Fei the Beast is an artist who works with building characters and worlds through costumes and environments. Inspired by toys, video games and TV show supervillains, much of their practice are playful, interactive and performative. They are recently exploring how renavigating past traumatic events through altered egos and worlds could result in healing, connection, and transformation.

Head shot photo credit:
Fei the Beast. Queer Development Program Showcase 2024. Photographed by Joseph Mayers, Courtesy of Performance Space

Emma Pham is an emerging artist and arts worker based on Dharug and Dharawal lands in so-called “Australia”. Working with pixel art illustration and animation, her practice mobilises digital nostalgia towards hopeful ends. She finds solace in the vibrant pixel worlds she creates, and hopes to offer that back to you. Emma is also passionate about working alongside underrepresented groups, both in the arts and beyond.

photo cred: Dylan Mangunay