IN this fast-paced world, where technology has become so inevitable and has widely controlled our everyday lives, we have often been denied the opportunity to connect nor enjoy a more natural gift which is nature itself.
If you are unable to visit and enjoy the sight of nature in a common atmospheric setting, do not worry as the ecosystem of the rainforest can be demonstrated through a small forest in bottled terrariums.
You can have it anywhere you want to, office, living room, bedroom and so on.
Located at the heart of George Town, the Moonshop Gallery is the place to be for those who desire to enjoy the company of not only some mouth-watering western delights, but small gardens or ‘forests’ housed in a pretty, round and oval bottles.
The brainchild behind this idea is Vin Chee, an architect by nature and a passionate lover of plants and nature.
Moonshop is not your ordinary neighbourhood coffee shop; it is a gallery cum plant design laboratory that specialises in tropical ornamental plants forest, a space designated to bring much delight to people’s eyes through a variety of bottled and open-system forests.
In a recent interview with Buletin Mutiara, Vin Chee said he has been passionate about plants and nature since young and has vowed to pass on his knowledge about these natural gifts by God to the people.
“In this fast-moving world, people are too busy shaping their lives that best complements the current trends of living, which eventually leads most of them to neglect plants and nature.
“This is my way to inch people closer to nature and promote conservation of the rainforests.
“Hence, I embarked on a journey to set up my own space that mainly focuses on forests but bottled. Moonshop is very special because we have a laboratory inside, where we carry out all necessary experiments to ensure our products become an attraction among the people,” Vin Chee said.
Moonshop Gallery was opened in 2015. The gallery currently has five members.
Vin Chee said Moonshop is not only limited to demonstrating bottled rainforests, but it also serves as a space that educates people on how to care for plants and how important it is to do to ensure their survival just like us.
“Plants, just like us, require vital care in order to sustain its liveability. Different plants require different amounts of watering and frequencies too.
“For example, one of our products Moon Forest, is a light up terrarium that needs to be watered twice weekly using a spray bottle until its soil mixture turns dark and moisture,” he added.
Other products that can be found in the gallery are Forest in the Bottle, Forest Frame and many others.
As mentioned earlier, Moonshop also aims to implant public awareness among the people pertaining to the beauty of tropical rainforest through its daily forest education workshop.
Participants can expect a truly educational yet fun-filled hands-on experience creating miniature rainforests in bottles.
The workshops are conducted by the members, who are also experienced individuals dealing with plants.
If you are excited and up for a new yet truly beneficial experience with plants and nature, then you can head down to 8, Lebuh Farquhar, George Town, 10200 George Town (Moonshop Gallery).
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Alissala Thian