Turning Broken Porcelain into Light: PK’s Lamp‑Making Journey

In 1985, a friend brought PK a batch of cracked porcelain from Guangzhou. Instead of discarding them, PK asked himself why they could not become lamp bases, and he used the skills he had learned as a machinist to create a new process that turns the broken pieces into functional lamps.

72‑year‑old Cheong Poh Kwai, known as PK, first learned the craft of lamp making while working as a machinist in the 1970s, where he produced steel components and gradually understood how lamp bases and shades were designed. After his National Service, he used that knowledge to start his own lamp company in 1981 and later opened the antiques and lifestyle shop East Inspirations in 1993.

Today, the shop’s table lamps are unique pieces that combine repurposed antique porcelain with other unexpected objects. Each lamp tells a story, such as a design that uses his mother’s old biscuit moulds to convey wishes for abundance and many grandchildren.

About ten years ago, PK’s 37‑year‑old son Jacob joined East Inspirations. Jacob introduced tea‑appreciation sessions for visitors and now runs the shop’s marketing, social‑media and online sales, helping the business reach a wider audience.

By giving damaged antiques a new function, PK preserves the cultural narratives embedded in each object while creating sustainable, meaningful design. The father‑son partnership also shows how a family business can evolve across generations, keeping tradition alive in modern Singapore.

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