Experience the Wonders of Chinese Gilt-Decorated Art
Immersive digital exhibits meet precious gilt-decorated black lacquer antiques in K11 Craft & Guild Foundation's Voyage de Savoir-Faire exhibition in Guangzhou
You may know of K11, a luxury lifestyle brand operator, for its renowned K11 Musea concept — a sprawling art mall that made headlines when it opened at Hong Kong's Victoria Dockside four years ago. Now, it's time to get acquainted with its sister K11 Craft & Guild Foundation, a Hong Kong-based charity for arts and culture, and one that is championing the preservation of Chinese craftsmanship — more specifically, the art of gilt-decorated black lacquer — through its current Voyage de Savoir-Faire exhibition, which is running till the end of June at Guangzhou's K11 Art Mall.
A well-balanced mix of precious antiques and immersive, interactive stations, the exhibition features 14 sets of gilt-decorated black lacquer pieces (a jewellery cabinet, round table, tea box, and more) in five themed sections. The exhibition commences with Dérive — Adrian Cheng, Founder of the K11 Craft & Guild Foundation, personally takes visitors back to the late 17th century with stories of the Chinese traditional craft, detailing how the art form fascinated Europe. The second area, Voyage, illustrates how shipping routes connected China and Europe — and ultimately Emperor Kangxi and the King of France Louis XIV, leading to Chinoiserie winning over the West and influencing design there.
The exhibition continues with the third section, Rêve — a wholly Instagrammable, multi-sensory exhibit with striking video panels. Yet, it's Savoir-faire, the fourth area, that really focuses on the conservation of Chinese craftsmanship. This section displays lacquerware antiques while incorporating interactive stations that highlight the creation process of gilt-decorated black lacquer. Finally, Au-delà du Rêve is a space festooned with both contemporary and digital artworks (by Weng Jijun, Vincent Cazeneuve and Obvious Art), expressing the revival of gilt-decorated art. And just in case you don’t make it in time to Guangzhou, the travelling exhibition is expected to make stops in Wuhan, Shen Yang and Paris in the months ahead.
