One of the projects that sticks in Gerald Mak's mind from his ceramics and glass MA at the Royal College of Art, from which he graduated in 2020, was having to choose a piece from the V&A's collection to reinterpret in a work of his own..
Gerald picked a porcelain lemon basket, made around 1737 by Meissen, the finest porcelain factory in Europe and the first to rival the quality of the porcelain made in Asia.
Lozenge-shaped in white, the basket is modelled in elaborate Chinoiserie style, with an outstretched eagle forming a handle at each end, and two of the four feet depicted as lions' paws.
Each side features a cavorting couple in Chinese dress and hats, with the woman holding a parasol, surrounded by cornucopias, swags and flowers. Having grown up in Hong Kong, Gerald was fascinated by the piece, finding it both familiar and alien: 'It was clearly a representation of Asian culture, but seen through Western eyes, and I became really obsessed with that. I was seeing my heritage, but seeing it through different eyes.'
The work that came out of the exercise was Hats!, a collection of ornamental hats rendered in porcelain, inspired by those worn by East Asian characters in Western musicals and operas, as well as the hats worn by the figures on the basket. It was a formative step on his artistic journey to creating the work he makes today: ceramics inspired by traditional Chinese wares, but interpreted through his unique lens of growing up in Hong Kong, and moving to London at the age of 18 to study.
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Collecting Dioramas MINIATURE WORLDS
From elaborate taxidermy museum displays to humble folk art creations, a diorama can transport us to another time and place
Pride of place LEEDS CREAMWARE
In its heyday the pre-eminent rival to Wedgwood's Queens ware, Leeds creamware is still much revered by collectors for its understated elegance
Bohemian Rhapsody
An exuberant approach to decor, with rooms enveloped in colour and pattern, has brought this historic home merrily into the 21st century...
THE ANTIQUES THAT SHAPED ME Rory Hutton
The accessories designer on his love of silver spoons and Sévres porcelain
European HERITAGE B&Bs
Is there anything more inspiring than staying somewhere that's both beautifully stylish and imbued with history? Rhiannon Batten explores five gems across Europe, from Sweden to Spain...
STAR SALES
A Hitchens painting, a museum-quality teapot and a Parisian chocolate box are all top of the lots
Textile designs by artists
Influential 20th-century fine artists and sculptors, from Picasso to Barbara Hepworth, gained additional status as textile designers until decline set in during the 1970s
Period DRAMA
A painstaking renovation has brought this 1725 former Huguenot silk weaver's house in London's Spitalfields back to life
An artist's RESIDENCE
Rustic details and a restrained palette lend a sense of simplicity to this lovingly restored Friesian bakery
Carefully Curated LIVING
This lovingly restored Gustavian manor has become both home and showroom for its owners, Maria & Jan Åke, who deal in European antiques