Kevin Chiam, Kitchenware Designer

We talk to the founder of Folks Kitchenware about the inspiration behind his collection of tools that enables the blind to prepare food safely and with confidence

- Germaine Cheah

HOW DID THE IDEA OF FOLKS KITCHENWARE COME ABOUT?

Folks Kitchenware was seeded from the conversations I had with my visually impaired (VI) friends who I met while volunteering at the Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped. It was rather common to see scabs and scars on the hands of the VI and as it turned out, these scars were reminders of their unfortunate attempts at cooking. Realising the trials my friends had to undergo, it prompted me to question if the existing landscape can indeed be revised to lower the learning curve. I was hence motivated to help them so that they can have the necessary confidence to overcome physical and mental barriers and eventually come to appreciate cooking as a joyful ritual.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON USING THE NAME “FOLKS” FOR YOUR PROJECT?