Celebrity Life

Born and raised in Ontario, Canada, Hong Kong-based artist Peter Yuill has been making waves on the local scene this year with his solo exhibition Alignment at newly opened Gallery HZ on Hollywood Road. Following a star-studded attendance at his previews in Soho House Hong Kong, which saw politician John Tsang, singer/actress Joyce Cheng and Moiselle heiress Tiffany Chan among the crowd, art aficionados and artists alike concede that this will be a transformative year for him.

The art that Yuill produces is clean, minimal, Zen, extremely detailed and somewhat intimidating. Highly analytical and technical in appearance, his circular paradigm has become a trademark that’s inspired by the interconnectedness of the universe and the inevitable limitations of humans in their understanding of all the secrets of nature. In his show, Yuill turns the dichotomous relationship between the infinite and the limited into a powerful narrative of liberation through which he’s indeed achieved the alignment between his artistic and spiritual development.

Spirituality is a consistent theme in his exhibition, which is no surprise given his own strong spirituality and interest in the topic. Indeed, as he’s married to feng shui designer Thierry Chow, daughter of the famed feng shui master Chow Hon Ming, you could say that the theme dominates his life. In 2017, Yuill released an acclaimed series of works with static line, circular form and monochromatic shapes drawn and arranged by hands. The series represented his journey in finding the synthesis between two seemingly paradoxical realms – his logical mind and inner self.

[caption id="attachment_205689" align="alignnone" width="7192"] Limitless Path of the Intuitive Mind I, 2020[/caption]

Since then, he continues this journey by further reducing his pictorial vocabulary to a single shape – a circle – and finds his definitive language of expression that transcends all the dichotomies of the world and immerses viewers in the intricate yet harmonious dimension of the whole. According to Yuill, the circular iconography in his work “came from a long process of deconstruction that I undertook several years ago trying to get to the core essence of myself and my creative vision. I spent a long time being unhappy with the work I was making and really wanted to break everything down and discover what I was really all about. I continued to distil my work down more and more and more until I was eventually left with just a circle, and from there I began building back up again. To me the circle represents the marriage of mathematical and spiritual perfection.”

Yuill says this body of work has been incubating since last autumn, with hundreds of different sketches and concept drawings laid out to create the pieces he wanted to make. It wasn’t until December of last year that he began kicking it into high gear, which is highly impressive given that he then created the 14 original works and three limited-edition prints in a span of just three months. Whereas his previous works “were much more chaotic and aggressive, the pieces in Alignment are much more balanced and centred, reflecting that same feeling within me”, he says. Yuill says he always knew he’d be an artist in one form or another. “I’ve always been a fiercely independent and self-reliant person, and walk my own path. I never really fitted into normal society even from a very early age, and always knew that my own destiny was something that would cut against the grain. For a long time it was a very isolating feeling actually, until I realised that it was okay to think so radically differently from everyone around me.”

[caption id="attachment_205726" align="alignnone" width="859"] Peter Yuill working in his Chai Wan studio[/caption]

When asked to describe Hong Kong’s art scene, Yuill says that it’s a work in progress –  “Hong Kong is a very tough place to be an artist. There’s very little resources, very little establishment support and the rents are obscenely expensive. The city is run from a commerce mindset, not from a quality-of-life or appreciation-of-beauty mindset. This makes anyone doing anything that isn’t commerce-related always struggling and having to fight an uphill battle. "That being said, it’s not all bad either. As a younger city on the up and up, it can be easier to network and meet the kind of people that can help you develop, because everyone’s trying to do something, everyone’s a hustler. It also makes the creative community small, tight-knit and like a family. We’re all in this together and people help each other a lot.”

Yuill’s currently working with his good friend and fellow artist Simon Birch on his large project The 14th Factory, which also features several other Hong Kong, Chinese and international artists. Launched previously in Los Angeles, it’s now in the process of being moved to London – global circumstances permitting, of course.

Alignment is on view until May 9th at Gallery HZ.

The post Inside Peter Yuill’s Solo Show ‘Alignment’ appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The documentary showcasing the work put into the Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition is now available on YouTube.

The post Experience the magic of Dior in the comfort of your own home appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

The documentary showcasing the work put into the Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition is now available on YouTube.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

With several entertainment venues closed, and an alcohol ban that looks like it’s going to last for the unforeseeable future, exciting weekend plans are becoming more and more limited. Thankfully, there's  something a little more special for us all to look forward to. For 48 hours, you can now watch The Phantom of the Opera — also known as Broadway’s biggest, longest-running musical — online at zero cost. 

In face of Covid-19 closures, Andrew Lloyd Webber has launched a special YouTube channel, to keep theatre enthusiasts entertained during the pandemic. On the channel — called The Show Must Go On — audiences can expect to see some of his most beloved productions, available for free streaming for viewers all across the world. This weekend’s pick is a pretty big one, as Andrew Lloyd Webber will be releasing a special 25th anniversary version of The Phantom of the Opera, which was filmed at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011.

What’s the Plot?

For those of you who haven’t yet seen The Phantom of the Opera, or are perhaps taking this quarantine as a chance to venture into theatre, now makes a great chance to try something new. The musical tells the bittersweet story of a masked musical prodigy, who lives in hiding under a Parisian opera house, and falls in love with a beautiful opera singer. It features an iconically moving repertoire of songs, including 'All I Ask of You', 'Music of the Night', and 'The Phantom of the Opera'.

How to Watch it?

Tune into the official YouTube channel at The Show Must Go On. The Phantom of the Opera will be aired online from 1am onwards, Saturday April 18, 2020, and will be available to viewers for the next 48 hours. While streaming is completely free, audiences are encouraged to support the industry, by contributing donations to charities that support theatre, including Broadway Cares and the Actors Benevolent Fund.

What Else is There to See?

Asides from full-length videos, you can also stream clips that contain behind-the-scenes footage and more, including several songs that Andrew Lloyd Webber himself plays at his piano.

Stream it Here

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nINQjT7Zr9w[/embed]

The post Watch The Phantom of the Opera Online This Weekend appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

As the world looks for a beam of light to shine through times of darkness, Switzerland takes this conception quite literally and lights up Europe’s most famous mountain in Zermatt. The slopes of Matterhorn have become the backdrop for light artist Gerry Hofstetter as he illuminates the skyline with messages of positivity.

[gallery ids="204396,204207,204208"]

Two weeks back, colourful projections were splashed on the Swiss Alps in a series of images with the mission of spreading hope and solidarity to the world. Since 24 March, the majestic 14,690 ft. mountain has seen textual messages and hashtags such as #Hope to lift spirits, #StayHome to encourage social distancing, and #AllOfUs to reinforce solidarity followed by the national flags of several countries stricken by COVID-19 such as Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Japan and most recently USA.

[inline-quote author=" Light artist Gerry Hofstetter"]"Light is hope. So if you do a message with light in such a situation as we are in now, you give that hope – especially with this iconic, standalone, pyramid-shaped, incredibly strong mountain."[/inline-quote]

Every night from sunset until 11:00PM (GMT+2), Hofstetter displays a light show that celebrates those on the frontlines while providing those that are doing their part -- by staying at home -- a form of entertainment. For those of us that aren’t within proximity to view the art first-hand, we can catch the show through the official website of Matterhorn, Zermatt.

The post The Matterhorn in Switzerland Lights Up with Inspirational Messages appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

In an art world obsessed with big ideas, one might be forgiven for believing that technique has taken a backseat to concept. How can a brushstroke – even the most masterful one mankind has ever seen – compete with the sight of a melting glacier placed in
the middle of a major European city, or a minute of fraught silence enjoyed opposite one of the world’s most eccentric performance artists, or even a cocky supermarket banana taped casually to a white wall?
And yet, while the greater public may not queue hours for a selfie opportunity with it, and the press may not dedicate yards of news column to it, art that’s more focused on technique than big showy ideas isn’t just the purview of craftsmen and artisans – not that the two are mutually exclusive, anyhow.

In a generation that’s fast becoming slave to the showiness of one-upmanship, a “slow” approach to creating art is becoming increasingly important, all the more because it’s increasingly rare. Take a peek at the much-debated ArtReview Power 100 list: top- ranked artists Nan Goldin, Hito Steyerl, Yayoi Kusama, Pierre Huyghe and Banksy are either there for their politics, or for their work’s ability conceptually to shock. Sitting at number 20, Theaster Gates is described as “The artist who does more outside the gallery than within”, while at number 24, Ai Weiwei is lauded not for his installations that incorporate, among other things, Chinese porcelain, but for remaining “newsworthy in a year that’s been quieter than most on the exhibition front ... indicative that what happens in the studio is only half the story.”

[caption id="attachment_203365" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Liberty of the Wind, Lam Duen Shan Ming, at Crafts on Peel[/caption]

How about the artist that does more inside the studio than out? There’s no doubt that the art game today is more about what happens in galleries and auction rooms, but don’t some collectors still care about process?
Glenn D Lowry, who incidentally ranks number one on the aforementioned list, appears to think so – as part of MoMA’s splashy relaunch last year, the museum’s director included within the opening programme a temporary exhibition called Taking a Thread for a Walk, with a focus on textile traditions. Similarly, the Whitney Museum has on show Making Knowing: Craft in Art, 1950-2019, which explores how some 60 artists, such as Eva Hesse and Robert Rauschenberg, were inspired by traditionally female-associated craft techniques.

Has this stateside interest played out in similar fixations closer to home? A year ago, when local revitalisation project The Mills debuted in Tsuen Wan West with its associated art institution CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts & Textile), the directors were careful in the naming process, choosing “textile” over “textiles” so as not to bind themselves into a discourse that involved only fabric art – an understandable distinction, but also a bit of a pity. As a result, exhibitions traverse digital, performance, conceptual – as well as pieces forged of cloth. Crafty artists, for sure, reckon in what is exceedingly well- considered programming – its winter exhibition featured an exhibition by Japanese textile designer Sudo Reiko of Nuno, a textile-design firm that’s been instrumental in combining traditional fabric techniques with advances in modern tech – but it’s still worth noting that the powers that be sought specifically not to box themselves in.

While the reason for CHAT’s breadth of programme arose from the definition of Nan Fung’s textile mills as manufacturing hubs, rather than centres of artisan genius, the newly launched Crafts on Peel wishes to place the spotlight purely on the myriad possibilities inherent in working with Chinese craft techniques. This not-for-profit creative venue was founded by Yama Chan, whose priority it was to “preserve and revive our traditional craftsmanship so that we can continue to celebrate our [past] and cultural identity”, she says. “Our history, traditions and heritage give us our identity and bind us together as a community with a sense of belonging. With rapid economic development and the onset of mass production, it’s all the more important for us to rescue our slowly disappearing heritage. To breathe life into traditional crafts, we encourage young artisans to learn the skills of traditional craftsmanship – and to find modern purposes for these traditional crafts.”

[caption id="attachment_203526" align="alignnone" width="2256"] Reborn Merman, Cheung Foon x Jinno Neko, at Crafts on Peel[/caption]

What this means, on a practical level, is finding masters of these rare skills – which range from the arguably non-artistic art of making bird-cages to those deft in guangcai, or Chinese porcelain painting – and connecting them with young designers and artists to encourage collaborations that take each party into happily unfamiliar territory. For its inaugural exhibition, for example, interior architect Lawrence Ting created a bamboo chandelier using techniques gleaned from fifth-generation family bamboo-steamer company, Tuck Chong Sum Kee.

[caption id="attachment_203364" align="alignnone" width="1600"] Swirly, Tuck Chong Sum Kee x Lawrence Ting, at Crafts on Peel[/caption]

In the last decade, for reasons beyond simply the political, Hong Kong has been in the throes of establishing its own distinctive identity beyond the label
of “Chinese” – and Crafts on Peel in this initial exhibition is tackling, in a broad survey manner, what exactly Hong Kong’s own artisanal crafts are, though many of these talents can be found in other cities. But forging this identity will take longer than the length of one show, and Crafts on Peel will zero in on individual skills in its subsequent programming.
“From Hong Kong, we will venture to other countries in the region in our next two exhibitions on the themes of Bamboo and Metal Works. Not only will we invite bamboo and metalwork artisans from countries such as mainland China, Japan and Taiwan to come to Hong Kong to exhibit their creations, they will also be staying and working at Crafts on Peel through our Artisan in Residence Programme, to collaborate with our local artisans,” says Chan.
In doing so, the differences between various cultures are more easily appreciated. Hong Kong artists have a nice history of spotlighting culture-specific motifs, whether it’s Stanley Wong’s appropriation of red-white- and-blue bags or Tang Kwok-hin’s vocabulary of quintessential Hong Kong scenes and ready-made items,but local craftsmanship? Not so much.

The conundrum remains, though, that much of the product of these craft collaborations remains terribly useful – not a problem when you need a new lighting fixture, perhaps, but there aren’t too many home-decor objects that make it to the floor of Art Basel, no matter how unique or beautiful.
What takes it to the level we call art? It’s probably a question people will never stop asking, and which can never be answered, but we’ll consider one final example, regardless, as we each come to our own inevitably futile conclusions.
CHAT’s choice, this winter, was to showcase the work of a textile designer, rather than a so-called pure artist. In the same vein, Marc Newson is known more for his usable wares – the industrial designer is beloved by brands both luxury and mass market and he’s designed everything from pens to boats to the Apple watch. As you might imagine, he’s done a chair or two at some point in his career – so what makes his most recent furniture collection worthy of not one, not two but three shows with super art gallery Gagosian?

[dual-images right-image-url="https://www.prestigeonline.com/hk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Untitled-design-25.jpg" left-image-url="https://www.prestigeonline.com/hk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Untitled-design-23.jpg" right-caption="Cloisonné Yellow Chair, Marc Newson" left-caption="Dark Orange Glass Chair, Marc Newson"]
It’s certainly not function – they might not be super comfortable, but one could definitely sit on these cloisonné couches. Given the scarcity of artisans familiar with the almost-forgotten Chinese technique, however, creating this collection meant finding the people and equipment to execute this craft on a sofa-sized scale (typically, this complicated enamel work is performed on teeny tiny things such as watch dials or ornamental vases) – Newson ended up creating his own cloisonné factory in Beijing, a process that took five years. The work is so intricate that to put out some thirty furniture pieces will give the factory years of future work. Does that make it art?
“People still struggle a bit with whether it’s design or art,” Newson says with a shrug. To him, the distinction is no longer important – there are design objects that cost lots and are one-off, just as there can be art that’s mass market and commercially available.

“Ten years ago, if you [saw] this sort of sculpture- stroke-art thing, you’d have imagined that in 10-15 years’ time, it would have been a new genre of work that really existed in its own right, but I haven’t seen that really. They still can’t get their head around what it is, and what that says to me is that it’ll just always be like that.”
And that’s just the way the world works – Ai Weiwei breaking an ancient urn will always make for a better story than all the other times he chooses
actually to make some pottery. The world can remain enamoured with headline-makers like Olafur and Maurizio, but in their own quiet way, many of these artisanally driven artists are also making their marks, as well they should.

Getting Crafty: Spotlighting Artists Working with Traditional Techniques in New Ways

Broken Dreams

Korean Yeesookyung’s bulbous sculptures incorporate Japanese kintsugi, in which cracks in damaged porcelain are repaired and highlighted with gold, and were just shown at Massimo di Carlo at the end of 2019.

One Step Forward
Also at the end of last year, Galerie du Monde displayed works by Wang Gongyi, which took traditional Chinese silk painting techniques into a new realm. Her work is currently on show in the gallery’s group exhibition 3E14, titled after the gallery’s booth number at the now- cancelled Art Basel, until April 18.

Practical Magic

[caption id="attachment_203528" align="alignnone" width="2254"] Costumes, Tapestries, in Boro Textiles, Sustainable Aesthetics, Susan Canciolo, at New York's Japan Society[/caption]

Fashion designers-cum-artists Susan Cianciolo and Christina Kim’s Boro Textiles: Sustainable Aesthetics, is showing in New York’s Japan Society. The exhibition explores contemporary manifestations of the traditional Japanese patchwork technique and closes June 14.

Industrial Evolution

[caption id="attachment_203532" align="alignnone" width="1600"] Marc Newson[/caption]

Just closed last month was the third Gagosian exhibition of limited- edition furniture by Marc Newson, this time at Tarmak 22 at Gstaad Saanen private airport in Switzerland. The show featured his cloisonné pieces, but also cast glass and Murrina works, using Venetian techniques adapted for use on a larger scale.

The post Has the Shock Factor Replaced Artisanal Expertise in Art? appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Online bidding will invigorate art auction houses big and small, in turning point for industry.

The post Technology to breathe life into art auction market appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Online bidding will invigorate art auction houses big and small, in turning point for industry.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

As the world continues to fight against the coronavirus pandemic, it goes without saying that for safety's sake --travel plans must to be halted. And while we hunker down in our homes --making home improvements, working out indoors, and ordering food delivery-- there are still ways to stay cultured and curious through travel. That's not to say that you have to leave your home, or even your sofa, at all. Instead, give these 10 virtual tours a whirl and visit some of the world's most awe-inspiring wonders, sights, museums, parks and more, all from the comfort of your own home.

1. The Louvre in Paris

Originally a fortress built by the French king Philippe Auguste, the largest art museum in the world has now shuttered its doors. Thankfully, its exhibits are still open virtually. Four tours are available on the website so you can marvel at artefacts from the Pharaonic period in the Egyptian Antiquities exhibit, before looking up at the famous high vaulted and painted ceilings of the Gallerie d'Apollon. You can even view the remains of the Louvre's moat, or go on an educational journey with 'The Advent of the Artist' that showcases how craftsmen evolved to become respected artists in the Renaissance period.

Tour the Louvre at www.louvre.fr

2. Northern Lights in Canada

You can witness nature's most beautiful light show from your screen, thanks to a livestream from Churchill Northern Studies Center in Churchill, Manitoba. The camera is perched just below the aurora oval, giving viewers incredible front row seats to the Aurora Borealis. The live viewings go on all night and are organised by Polar Bears International, a group of conservationists, scientists, and volunteers working to aid polar bear survival in the arctic.

Watch the Northern Lights at www.explore.org

3. Sistine Chapel in Vatican City

The Sistine Chapel is known for its ornate Renaissance frescoes by Michelangelo, as well as paintings by other Florentine Renaissance masters, such as Botticelli and Perugino who detail various popes, as well as the lives of Christ and Moses. Keep your eyes peeled for the chapel's most famous works: The Creation of Adam, and the nine stories from Genesis. Once you're done with your adventure, you can hop on over to the other six tours of the Vatican museums.

Visit the Sistine Chapel and other Vatican Museums at www.museivaticani.va

4. The Great Wall of China

Considered one of the world's most jaw-dropping wonders, the Great Wall of China is taking virtual travellers on a hike of its ancient fortifications that stretch more than 3,000 miles across Chinese provinces. The tour gives you incredible panoramic views from the watchtower, Jinshanling and Shimatai (one of the most beautiful sections of the tower), as well as the tower in winter.

Walk the Great Wall of China at www.thechinaguide.com

5. Buckingham Palace in London

While witnessing the changing of the guard outside Buckingham palace is a quintessential part of any family-friendly trip to London, most people have no clue what the royal institution looks like on the inside. On its official website, you're free to discover the Drawing Room, the Throne Room and the Blue Drawing Room, as well as the velvet-swathed Grand Staircase.

Peek inside Buckingham Palace at www.royal.uk

6. San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo is one of the most lauded zoos in the world thanks to its reputation for excellent animal and wildlife care. The expansive institution is home to some of the beautiful animal habitats with naturalistic landscaping and foliage. It also happens to be home to the largest population of endangered pandas. Bring wildlife into your home with live camera sessions of the pandas, tigers, baboons, and giraffes.

Watch the animals at www.zoo.sandiegozoo.org

7. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

If you're deathly afraid of volcanoes, there's no need to be. As you can now hike them virtually without fear. Let the immersive Hidden Worlds of the National Parks by Google Art and Culture whisk you away on an educational tour that navigates underground caverns, flies over volcanoes, and perches precariously on volcanic cliffs.

Hike the volcanoes at www.artsandculture.withgoogle.com

8. Amazon Rainforest

Thanks to the nonprofit group Conservation International, you can now explore the planet's largest tract of tropical rainforest --the Amazon-- through an immersive 360-degree virtual reality (VR) video. Descend from towering trees to see the stunning sights of the great forest and meet the forest's native Kamanja Panashekung, who will take you to see wildlife up close. You'll end the tour with a deeper understanding on why the rainforest is so crucial to mankind's survival.

Explore the Amazon rainforest at Conservation International's YouTube channel

9. The Great Barrier Reef

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61CdttBG3n0&feature=emb_title

Take a dive along the Great Barrier Reef with the voice of nature, Sir David Attenborough, who will take you on an interactive journey. A map plots your adventure across five locations, each complete with a wealth of information of the various ecosystems, and underwater excursions from a state-of-the-art research vessel. Hear from marine biologists and scientists on the front line of research to discover how to save the reef and its inhabitants in the face of climate change.

10. Mars and NASA Space Stations

[caption id="attachment_199567" align="alignnone" width="1024"] (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)[/caption]

Jet Propulsion Library's tie up with NASA enables you to travel beyond the world from sofa to space. The virtual tour lets you view MARS from a 360 degrees aspect, through a WebXR project which shows you the real surface of Mars. Alternatively, you can head to NASA's website to tour its international space stations while viewing videos, images and testing in action.

Visit Mars at www.accessmars.withgoogle.com

Visit the NASA international space stations at www.nasa.gov

The post 10 Ways to Travel the World Without Leaving Home appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Pablo Reinoso is an Argentine-French artist and designer who has been working and living in Paris since the late seventies. He is most famous for his public installations and sculptures which he creates from traditional materials eg, metal, stone and also from wood. Perhaps one of his most recognized pieces is the spaghetti bench and […]

The post Argentine-French artist and designer, Pablo Reinoso and his sculptures appeared first on Upscale Living Magazine.

The prolific art collector, advisor and soon-to-be mother of three, Shanyan Koder is sitting snuggled among silk cushions on an antique chaise longue in her living room. Hanging on the wall opposite is Eden – a Damien Hirst Butterfly piece – one of Koder’s personal favourites.
“Visually it’s an absolutely stunning painting, bursting with colour, iridescence. It’s symmetrical and cathedral-esque – and the only work in his entire Butterfly series that includes every single butterfly that’s ever featured in the series,” says the Hong Kong-born and -raised founder/director of Shanyan Koder Fine Arts and HUA arts platform.
An epic Candida Höfer photograph hovers just above the black grand piano, and a pair of Afro-Nude paintings by Chris Ofili adorn the wall above. The scene is set, and what a scene it is.
Dressed in a simple black dress and white robe, waiting for hair and make-up, and looking relaxed in her fairy-tale home, Koder is also gloriously, glowingly six months pregnant. Her third child is well on her way – another girl in addition to daughters Callie, aged six, and Lily, four.
Today, we’re in the safe confines of her spectacular Chelsea house, hands washed and sanitised as London starts to come to grips with the severity of the Covid-19 crisis that’s already swept its way through Asia. These strange and precarious times quickly bring the conversation to balance, well-being and family.
“What a year it’s been so far, 2020, with the Australian bushfires – my husband’s Australian, so it’s been very devastating to our family too – the floods in the UK, the locusts in Africa and now with this virus, and then the markets crashing. I feel it’s a message to mankind to reset and refocus on the most important things in life, which are health and happiness,” says Koder.
Those are also the core values of how she’d like to raise her children – prioritising health, happiness and home. Hectic London life for the Koders is often punctuated by time outs: “We go to the middle of nowhere, the Turks & Caicos, for two weeks just to recharge and reset.”

[caption id="attachment_200735" align="alignnone" width="1795"] Dress: Elie Saab | Necklace: Shanyan's own[/caption]

It’s soon off to a secluded house on a cliff overlooking the English coast – Cornwall to be exact – where the family will be getting away from the hustle, bustle and density of London during this time of crisis. “Hopefully some salty sea air and the windswept landscape will help us escape from all the chaos for a little while. There’s a time to be busy, I like to be industrious and engaged, but there’s also a time to rebalance and reconnect with nature, the ocean and the sea, and I’m quite spiritual about that.”
The art aficionado’s lifestyle is usually a mixture of worldly glamour and cosy, quiet family time. Her father, Hong Kong businessman Canning Fok, was already one of the city’s most prolific art collectors before Koder took a bigger role in shaping the family’s impressive collection, which includes Monet, Miró and Matisse along with Hirsts and Warhols. So it was her own family and upbringing that steered her “love for fine art and the way I collect today... I remember joining my parents from a very young age to bid at the likes of Sotheby’s and Christie’s’ evening sales.”

[caption id="attachment_200738" align="alignnone" width="2693"] Dress: Rochas | Earrings: Alighieri[/caption]

Since childhood, the thrill of acquiring rare pieces at exclusive viewings never left her. Today, the family collection runs the gamut of Modern masters, Impressionists and Post Impressionists – the likes of Degas, Magritte and Van Gogh, as well as contemporary luminaries such as Murakami and Hirst and a smattering of Chinese modern masters. Koder has carved out a stellar reputation as a serious art-world mover and shaker, serving as a council member of the Serpentine Galleries in London, an advisory-board member of the contemporary gallery Unit London and a member of the women-only Artemis Council at the New Museum of New York. The HUA art space (now online platform) she founded over a decade ago introduced the enigmatic Chinese contemporary market to the rest of the world.
As a collector, she has to respond emotionally to the actual artwork. “I like to collect with an open mind and not just stick with an artist that I know, because for me that’s quite closed-minded,” she says. “I’m a classicist at heart – I do love the old-worldly paintings, so I do tend to gravitate towards contemporary works that tend to have the elements of classicism and romanticism. But I like to embrace the new, I like to support emerging artists.”

Our eyes are drawn again to the Hirst, which carries a sense of the classical, and the butterflies a touch of romance. “As with all Damien’s works, there are classical elements of natural history, of science, of art and religious faith; but I love that while this work is a celebration of the beauty of life, it’s equally an appreciation of the beauty also in death.”

[caption id="attachment_200755" align="alignnone" width="1346"] Dress: Rochas | Earrings: Alighieri[/caption]

As much as she’s a natural classicist, there’s much about her entrepreneurial approach that’s progressive and digitally focused. Communications and even sales are easier in the digital and social-media age. “Along that vein, I’m also co-founding an app called Global Showcases, to be launched later this year, which targets an invitation-only group of discerning collectors looking to acquire and cross-collect the world’s most exclusive masterpieces.”

Her roles over the years on the boards of laudable global art institutions have lent her platforms gravitas and trust. And selling ultra-exclusive art pieces to a select, closed and elite group of collectors via her app platform is already starting to send ripples through the traditional-leaning fine-art markets. This digital development sits as the third business to HUA and her art-advisory platform Shanyan Koder Fine Art, which came about organically more than a decade ago when she was a younger collector and professional in the art world, having done time at Sotheby’s and Goldman Sachs in both London and Hong Kong.
“Now, many of my business projects have flourished as a result of millennial collectors empowered to make quick decisions on the back of social-media communication, and the ease of communicating visually via digital platforms,” she says. With Art Basel and other fairs being cancelled this year, that digital dimension is becoming ever more prevalent, as more galleries and artists rely on this mode of working. Art might be her business, but as a consummate creative, Koder’s expressions extend from fashion – I discovered quite the enviable shoe closet hidden near a bathroom – to furniture and interior design.
She prefers to dress in classic cuts and likes simplicity over fussy, complicated contemporary fashions. Even her style connects to some of her most beloved artists since childhood.
A penchant for pieces that highlight the grace of a woman’s neckline and her figure is “I suppose, a little like a Degas work on paper!” she says with a laugh, draping a graceful arm over the sofa.
“I like nothing more than to put on a simple black dress – and often have the same dress in white, in nude, and red. I love the fragility of thin shoulder straps, the femininity of a Bardot neckline, and the sensuality of a strapless bodice. Paired with nude stiletto Louboutin heels and diamonds, of course.”

[caption id="attachment_200759" align="alignnone" width="1496"] Jacket and top: Dries Van Noten | Necklace: Shanyan's own[/caption]

The charming Chelsea house, where we shoot this issue’s cover, is a good example of Koder’s aesthetic carrying from one mode to another. Bought in 2009, from a music-business impresario (“he was a manager for Dire Straits and Bryan Ferry”), the three-storey property was a wonderful space but total bachelor pad.
“I’d seen more than 50 places in this postcode alone. It’s funny how properties find you, and things just worked out with this one,” she says. “We’ve transformed the house over the years. My husband and I love going to art fairs and cross-collecting is a big thing for us – not only art, but we love design pieces like these vintage Tiffany lamps or these two 19th-century French antique country chairs that fit with the house so well... You’ll see elements of my taste in the sensual, feminine lamps, handmade by my dear friend, Sera Loftus.”
There’s art, books, family photos and curios – beautiful vintage and antique pieces abound. A gorgeous mirrored-glass statement coffee table by famed French modernist Serge Roche sits in one area, and in another, where we shoot one of her portraits, there’s a coffee table by the French artist Pierre Giraudon, its surface embedded beautifully with broken-up watch pieces and looking almost intergalactic from above.
Re-upholstered grand sofas, armchairs, chaise longues and beautiful regal curtains come in lush fabrics, silks and jacquards. Minimalist this home is not. Old-world charm oozes from each detail, but plants and contemporary pieces give the space a warmth, vibrancy and energy.

[caption id="attachment_200756" align="alignnone" width="2693"] Dress and necklace: Bottega Veneta[/caption]

“Everything I’ve collected and acquired for our home has a touch of romance, classicism, and femininity,” says Koder. “I see my Chelsea home as a quiet oasis, a peaceful sanctuary in a bustling London metropolis. It’s also a family home, cosy and warm.”
It’s a perfect place to come back to after an artist preview, charity event, meeting or a lunch with her girlfriends. Sometimes, she says with a smile, it’s also quite good for “doing a cover shoot for an internationally acclaimed magazine!”
This space is, of course, the primary home base for her regular routine – days start around 6am, when she gets the kids ready for school, packs meals and arranges lessons, as she doesn’t have a full-time nanny. When they’re at school, she gets several hours to pack in her meetings, emails and work. Most evenings she spends with her husband, Matthew Koder, and the kids, and cooks for the family. “My family are creatures of habit, so we like to stick to an overall daily routine, which helps ground all of us.”
She also admits to being a romantic, in life as well as in style: “I’m a bit with my head in the stars – it’s probably good that I have a husband who brings me down to earth every now and then. He’s my rock..."
“Art is just part of my everyday life, my kids are growing up in a family and an environment surrounded by art, music and nature, so hopefully these elements are already shaping a part of their soul and spirit.”
The family, which already includes two very old cats, Winston and Sherlock, as well as a fluffy dog called Scooby, is about to welcome another addition. Koder is thrilled about having a third daughter in the coming months: “We’re all very excited,” she says, laughing. “And my husband is well and truly outnumbered now!”

Photography Victor de Halleux 

Styling Hannah Beck

Hair and Make-up Reve Ryu using Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Hydrating Primer

Digi Op Will Churchill 

Photography Assistant Dasza Wasiak

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