Innehållsförteckning för May 2021 från Home Journal

Welcome to our special art issue. Art in all its forms can not only reflect our personality and vision, but it can also offer a window into our soul. This issue salutes showstopping and thought-provoking art and designs that are made to shatter stereotypes, uplift our spirits, and empower us all to lead a more meaningful life. Our cover honour goes to art specialist Jonathan Crockett, chairman of Asia at Phillips, who keeps pushing the boundaries of contemporary art to help the 100-year-old auction house reach new heights. The art specialist offered us a rare glimpse into an eclectic collection of contemporary artwork at his home residence, and a masterclass of what art is supposed to be. Further inspiring abodes in this issue include a zen-filled dwelling in Suzhou fitted…

TIMELESS APPEAL Infuse your home with an artsy vibe with this group of furniture and home accessories that blend soft, warm and comforting tones and textures with retro glamour. Pair them with abstract paintings, classic artworks or sculptural art that connect to your soul. FOR MORE PRODUCTS AND IDEAS, VISIT HOMEJOURNAL.COM AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @HOMEJOURNAL…

Known as a master of neo art deco, Taiwanese architect and interior designer T.K. Chu, of T.K. Chu Design, recently completed the Villa Smriti – a modern four-level residence inspired by the classical Chinese garden. To bring a sense of transcendence to the residence, and to enable the different levels to be more holistically connected, Chu included unusual sculptural forms as part of the interior architecture. Located in Suzhou’s Old City, adjoining the famous UNESCO-listed 17th century Couple Garden, the project – which was commissioned by China real estate developer Yanlord Land – presented Chu and his team with the unique opportunity to bring nature, architecture and art together in a breathtaking residence where classical Chinese themes merge with contemporary Western aesthetics. The villa has two basement levels, a ground…

Brooklyn is by far the most multicultural city in New York City. With early immigrants pouring in from Eastern Europe and the Caribbean, they mixed and matched a unique atmosphere in the area. With more and more artists flocking into Brooklyn looking for a quality life and room for creativity, the city, as a carrier of culture, offers exactly what they need – essential space for them to speak their mind, and explore and create their art. KAWS WHAT PARTY: EXPLORING 25 YEARS OF ART Brooklyn-based artist KAWS has made it onto the global art scene with his signature character, Companion. From his studio to the streets of Brooklyn, KAWS (Brian Donnelly) initiates a conversation with his audience with his graffiti work and “manipulating” commercials – that is, painting over…

LOCATION: Manhattan, New York Condominium Situated in Manhattan’s coveted Carnegie Hill neighbourhood on the Upper East Side, 180 East 88th Street offers expansive residences showcasing an unprecedented skyline and Central Park views complemented by luxurious amenities. Done by award-winning architecture and design firm DDG, the design of the condominium pays homage to the high-rise masonry construction in New York of the early 20th century while maintaining a modern aesthetic. The property’s façade features nearly 600,000 handmade bricks in Kolumba style by master brickworks Petersen Tegl in Denmark, creating a unique texture and colour palette that reflect their handmade quality. The property features 47 private residences ranging from lofts to five bedrooms, full floor and duplex units, and a triplex penthouse. With a modern interior aesthetic, the residences feature soaring 14…

PORTUGUESE FLAIR Hermès will open its fourth store in Galaxy Macau, taking design cues from the city’s cultural history and its Portuguese influences. Conceived by Parisian architecture agency RDAI, the new shop combines the singularity of the local culture with the brand’s signature architectural codes – the Ex-Libris motif, the mosaic flooring inspired by the Faubourg Saint-Honoré flagship store, and the Grecques lighting, enveloped in sun-faded greens and sunset pinks that pay homage to the historic houses in the nearby Taipa village. hermes.com AHEAD OF THE CURVE The Gallery by SOIL, and wamono art, are jointly presenting “The Beauty of Geometry – Bamboo Art by Hajime Nakatomi” exhibition, running from now until 16 May. A bamboo artist in Japan, Nakatomi explores the beauty of geometry, symmetry and organic forms through…

Aworkplace is more than a place to work, it can also be a place to hold memories and to entertain with panache, as this four-storey office demonstrates. Setting foot in Robert Lam’s office space on Hong Kong Island, one is immediately taken by its distinctive character and charm, redefining the conventional idea of what an “office” should look like. Lam, who established himself in the 1970s as one of the most prominent celebrity portrait photographers in Hong Kong, imagined himself as a painter at a younger age. But “you create art more efficiently with the help of a camera”, he says half-jokingly. So he turned to photography and later founded his own printing company – Robertlam Color Photobition – focusing on outdoor ads. Headquartered in this spacious Hong Kong office,…

“Since we are art nerds,” says Stefan Lundgren, “everything revolves around art.” Spend just a short time in the apartment in the historical centre of Palma de Mallorca that gallerist and collector Stefan shares with his wife Parnilla, children Lukas and Axel – and the family’s dogs, Nilla and Fannie – and you will realise that this is anything but an idle boast. In marked contrast to the weatherworn tonal colours that characterise the peaceful surrounding streets, and which continue up the serene old staircase that leads to the Lundgrens’ front door, once inside their home, a visitor’s first impression is one of bright colours and arresting shapes. The entrance hall is where the at-home art show kicks off: the works on display here include a sculpture by Ry Rocklen,…

The relationship between furniture and art goes back a long way. From the ornamental Rococo aesthetic to the fancy Art Deco style, visionary artists have been narrowing the gaps between form and function, conceptual and utilitarian, in order to elevate living spaces. Some contemporary artists have taken it a step further. Designers and artists Ken Kelleher, Misha Kahn and Katie Stout, for instance, have been challenging the norm of everyday furniture with domestic objects that double as a work of art, or the other way around, in an attempt to diminish the barriers between both. We catch up with three American art makers (as some of them regard the term “artist” as artificial and a marketing tool) to uncover the concepts of their captivating works that belong in both the…

LOCATION: Manhattan, New York Residential Centurion Real Estate Partners is unveiling a residential project that sits across the street from City Hall Park in Downtown Manhattan, designed by London-based architectural firm Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. Named No. 33 Park Row, the property is the firm’s first residential project in New York City. Slated for launch this spring, No. 33 Park Row will offer 30 one to five-bedroom residences and penthouses, many with private outdoor spaces. A tribute to the neighbourhood’s history, the building takes design cues from Downtown Manhattan’s commercial buildings from the industrial era, such as massive windows, decorative copper screen fins around the balconies and terraces, as well as distinctive dark steel framing on the façade. The building’s exterior features Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners’ signature copper…

01. ROCHE BOBOIS The CORAIL table by Roche Bobois is a perfect injection of style for the living room that doubles as a work of art. The table’s base is made from 3D-printed concrete that is fully customisable, allowing customers to choose the twisting and weaving effects of the base to their own liking. 02. TREE American designer Dawn Sweitzer infuses her childhood memories of Ohio, and her many adventures around the globe, to the design of the Voyage home accessories collection, marked by slimline silhouettes and eclectic patterns. 03. BOCONCEPT Add a dose of character to your home with this set of Burly vases and Hemisphere bowls, meticulously hand-carved to achieve an organic look that re-emphasises the beauty of natural materials. FOR MORE PRODUCTS AND IDEAS, VISIT HOMEJOURNAL.COM AND…

When Jonathan Crockett first thought of pursuing formal studies in Chinese contemporary art, in the late 1990s, he found it was a market that didn’t really even exist. “Artists at that time were selling artworks for a minuscule fraction of what they’re selling for today. There just wasn’t the demand,” recounts the Chinese art specialist. “It was Western collectors in Asia buying Chinese contemporary art that really kicked off that market.” So Crockett ended up furthering his education by studying Chinese language at SOAS University of London from 1997 and then Chinese Studies at Oxford from 2001 – and he watched with growing interest as the Chinese contemporary art market grew. And grew. Crockett’s big break came when he started his auction career at Christie’s London in 2003. Today he…

Angus Taylor and Rina Stutzer are an absolute force in the South African art world. Not only are they both well-respected artists in their own right, but they also run one of the country’s most advanced sculpture studios and foundries, Dionysus Sculpture Works (DSW), which casts a good number of the country’s most respected South African fine artists including Deborah Bell, Joni Brenner and Norman Catherine. Angus has created some of the country’s most recognisable large sculptures, often combining materials like bronze, steel and stone, although he works with more ephemeral materials such as rammed earth or packed thatching grass, too. Sometimes stacked stones in the form of reclining giants evoke some of man’s most ancient interactions with earth. He is probably still associated foremost with his figural work –…

“We just sold our first NFT yesterday!” It’s early April, and Hannah Szabo—partner to urban artist and designer Gustav Szabo, who goes by the moniker Szabotage—is telling me about their first sale on OpenSea, the digital marketplace for crypto collectibles and non-fungible tokens, also known as NFTs. “For $69 million!” Szabotage says. “Just kidding – we sold it for one Ether.” He’s referring to the cryptocurrency Ether, which runs on the Ethereum blockchain. On the day of his artwork’s transaction, that Ether was roughly equivalent to US$1,967. Not bad for a work of art that no longer exists, at least not in the physical form. Titled “Hong Kong on my Mind”, the black and white piece depicts a face with the Hong Kong skyline emerging from its head. The Brighton-born…

LOCATION: Tribeca, New York Condominium French architect Francois Leininger and his partners Line Fontana and David Fagart unveil their first project in New York – 30 Warren Tribeca. Clad in a total of one thousand slabs of concrete, the building appears in grey, brown or black, depending on the change of sunlight. Leininger says the facade is meant to look “crafty and mineral” or “soft and light like corduroy”, depending on the time of day. Taking cues from the iron and stone colours that characterise the Tribeca neighbourhood, 30 Warren boasts asymmetrical aesthetics that balance the old with the new through the use of texture and contrast. For instance, the concrete is pre-cast with corrugated cardboard to create a ribbed look for the building’s exterior, with a design-forward one-glass curtain…