Category: Artist Interviews

Can you briefly describe your own personal design philosophy?

I believe that design deeply impacts the way we feel and interact with others in a space, and I always strive to design spaces that are unique, layered, colorful and have an element of surprise or playfulness to them.

What’s your thought process like when you’re incorporating art into a space?

Art is very personal for clients and it can have a huge impact on the overall look and feel of a space. I work alongside clients to identify the sort of feeling they’re hoping to communicate through the art, and then narrow down from there. It’s often a trial and error process of trying different scales, color palettes, etc or if the client has their heart set on a piece, finding the best place in the home to showcase the artwork.

Can you briefly describe your own personal design philosophy?

Our design philosophy is that “great design is a conversation.” When designing for our clients we make sure there is a balance of their personal passions + travels blended with our ability to elevate the function + aesthetic. We love to incorporate found pieces of art or objects from our client’s travels with new pieces which create an entirely different conversation. Art and Design go hand in hand. 

What’s your thought process like when you’re incorporating art into a space?

We look at the entire space as a whole where the furniture and Art are both symbiotic and co-exist. The practicalities of size, scale, and colour are a large part of that as well as we want to create harmony and balance. You wouldn’t shove a sofa into a tight corner the same you wouldn’t hang a teeny tiny print on an empty wall. The negative space within the artwork is just important as the negative space in which it exists. 

Can you briefly describe your own personal design philosophy?

I think about the experience I want people to have when they step into a room I’ve designed. I compare it to how one looks at a piece of art in a museum or gallery and having that sense of discovery. When you step into one of our rooms, I want it to feel like you’re viewing a piece of art for the first time -you have to look around, find hidden details and discover more and more about it.

In my design, I layer a lot of pattern, color and texture, but in a way that feels cleaned-up and pulled together. We always include spaces where the eyes can rest, not overwhelming you. I also keep a keen eye on the shapes of the furniture, the special finishes and the selections of artwork to complete the aesthetic.  Our style is sometimes described as ‘curiosity without the chaos.’

Balance is important to me. When approaching a new project, I’ll ask, “Where in this room do the big moments belong?  Where do we need some texture or color or a piece of art? Maybe it’s in the upholstery on the chairs, or a hand-painted wall, or statement wallpaper on the ceiling. Then I’ll ask, where do we need to pull it back so that the room feels balanced and not too weighed to one side, or too messy.”

Part of my expertise is knowing where to show restraint and where to add the punches of excitement and how to balance those elements around the room. I want our designs to be interesting, with a little edge, but done with balance and artistry.

What’s your thought process like when you’re incorporating art into a space?

To me, art is everywhere. It’s in the little details, it’s in the materials and the finishes- the trim on the pillows, a houndstooth button, or a chamfered edge on a marble countertop. We’ll often take traditional ideas or finishes and modernize them in a cool, new way.

I also have to navigate what kind of art the client needs. Some clients have well developed art collections. Others want our expertise to fill their home with interesting pieces. We always include a mix of mediums including painting, sculpture, photography, 3D etc. And we’ll gently push clients to consider artwork they might not have considered before.

Can you briefly describe your own personal design philosophy?

I believe that the design of your home should have a strong personal point of view — if it is just decor for decor’s sake or a copy of something you’ve seen in a magazine, it lacks the depth necessary to have any longevity. Be authentic to your own sense of style and (if you can afford it) hire a designer to help you edit and guide you and you won’t want to redecorate every few years.

What’s your thought process like when you’re incorporating art into a space?

I generally don’t think about designing a room around a particular piece of artwork or buying artwork to match the color scheme of a room. Rather, I like the idea of building collections of pieces that really resonate with my clients. It is great when there is a thread that runs through a collection — maybe a focus on color-field paintings or process-driven photography — so there is some cohesion, but don’t be strict about it — just collect what you like and a focus will likely emerge. To me, this approach offers more flexibility for your collection to grow and for your home to evolve. You aren’t restricted in moving work into different spaces, and repositioning just one piece can completely change the mood of a room without having to completely redesign it.

Where are you from originally? Where do you consider home?

Originally from New York area, currently living in London. Both cities are close to my heart and feel like home.

Something you cannot live without?

My friends and family, certainly.

Most unexpected source of inspiration?

I have always found inspiration meandering around cities and I get really excited about unusual colour combinations. An unexpected source of inspiration comes from a slew of paint swatches from The Little Greene Company’s ‘Periods’ collection which I enjoy looking through from time to time.

Favourite place you’ve visited?

I suppose it would be London, as that it why I moved here! The first time I visited it poured rain for a week straight, but it didn’t matter, I had been completely and utterly charmed.

Highlight of your career so far?

I curated a show this past autumn in Tracey Emin’s longtime former studio. Set on the site of a 17th century silk mill, the Victorian building is a special piece of East London history. In terms of upcoming projects, I curated an exhibition for Fortnum and Mason aligned with the unveiling of their renovation, which opens this week and is on view for three months.

The most inspiring person you’ve ever met?

My grandfather. His zest for life was unparalleled! He was a chemist, spoke eight languages and learned the trumpet in his late seventies.

Best and worst piece of advice you’ve been given? 

A mantra I’ve always followed is to say yes even if it means being vulnerable. Say yes to the blind coffee meeting, the party where you only know the host, moving to a city where you don’t know anyone.

How is the art in Potong – from your interiors up to the menus important to you?

Potong and Art are intertwined from the design decision down to the food plating. Everything in Potong has a design concept of Juxtaposition and this can be presented everywhere in Potong. 

How is the art in Ando – from your interiors up to the menus important to you? What made you select the artist who painted the watercolors on your menu?

I am very lucky that the husband of my partner in Andō is a big Art Collector and because of that we have 3 beautiful pieces of art that give Andō a very special ambiance.

For me any form of art and fine dining of a high level come very close to each other and for me getting inspiration for other forms of art is very important to me and to my craft.

We like to extend art further than the paintings or sculptures that decorated the walls of the restaurant. We collaborate with a local artist who paints our menu with drawings inspired by my story as our menu is not conventional as we look into the act of dining from an artistic perspective. At Andō our menu is not written in a traditional way where all the ingredients are listed and described actually we don’t name any ingredient, we present the menu as Carta blanca or omakase where we aim to generate a complete trust between chef and guests just naming how many courses and its price that is all. And later on every dish is presented with its story painted by Vanessa.

Where are you from originally, & where do you consider home?

I was born in Hong Kong, and studied and worked in Boston for around 14 years until I moved back to Hong Kong in 2011.

Something you cannot live without?

My daughter is a Bichon named Furby. I cannot live without my dog. I literally take her everywhere I go!

Most unexpected source of inspiration?

A lot of my inspiration came from attempting to build a career that allowed me to spend bring Furby to work as much as possible. I sacrificed a lot of career direction and opportunities in hopes to being the best father to my dog as possible. I don’t have kids so I take the father role quite seriously. As a gallerist today, I can proudly accompany Furby on our mission to propelling education and awareness in the art world!

Favourite place you’ve visited?

My favourite place might be Hawaii. It is a combination of a resort atmosphere with the luxuries of very current city-type businesses and outlets. Normally there is a trade-off between a resort island and a city but Hawaii really has the best of both worlds.

Where are you from and what was your upbringing like? How has this impacted your work?

I grew up in a small town in north-west Germany. I certainly process what I have experienced, both beautiful experiences and conflicts, from my childhood and youth in my works, although this probably happens subconsciously.

Paint us a picture of your artistic journey. What inspired you to first pursue, and then continue to practice, artistic work?

In my childhood I painted a lot, whereas in my youth I wasn’t interested in painting at all, but rather in football. In art class at school, which I didn’t like at all, I didn’t get good grades because I didn’t work properly. In 2013 I started painting again with a friend in my father’s workshop. We painted two or three very abstract paintings a year, which I really enjoyed. However, the key moment in my artistic career came when I spent an Erasmus semester in Lisbon in 2016 as part of my law studies at the time. It was there my extremely talented Hungarian friend and roommate Aron inspired me to paint in such a way that I gave up my studies back in Germany and never stopped painting. The good response from those around me also gave me a lot of motivation.

When did you first begin to see yourself as an artist?

It took me a while to actually use the word ‘artist’ when referring to myself. Having to constantly work a hospitality job as well as painting, I found myself calling myself a barista more than an artist. However, now I am in my second year after graduating, I feel more secure in seeing myself as an artist, starting to shake off the imposter syndrome!

Where are you from and what was your upbringing like? How has this impacted your work?

I was born in Northumberland, and then moved down to Kent, when I was 3 years old. I’ve been brought up by my mum, who is the kindest, most inspiring woman there is. She has enabled me to pursue painting as a career and I am forever grateful. Addiction has always haunted our family, I think that has had a massive affect on my work, I use my paintings to explore humanness exaggerated by alcohol, the positives and the negatives.

Paint us a picture of your artistic journey. What inspired you to first pursue, and then continue to practice, artistic work? Was there a pivotal moment when you felt you were on the right track?

I went to a school that put a lot of emphasis on academia, so it was when my amazing teacher Mr Williams pushed me to think of art at the same level we were expected to think of sciences, that made me see the depth of what art can be and do. When someone is that passionate about their subject, as a teacher, it ignites the same passion in their students.

I then went to travelling around the world for 6 months after leaving school, and came back absolutely lost and unsure what I wanted to do with my life. I decided to enrol in an Art Foundation course, partly to feel like I had something stable to turn up to everyday, I still had in my mind that I wanted to do a Law degree, like my mum, but this foundation made me fall in love with making and creating, pushing boundaries of what I thought art was, and what it could be. This freedom in thinking was a real awakening, something that my fairly rigid education had not given me thus far. I knew at that point I did not want to sit in an office, I wanted to be surrounded by paint, charcoal and mess.