By Appointment: Zoe Chan
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Zoe Chan, the British Chinese artist and designer is founder of her eponymous studio. She creates unique homes and objects which are made from natural, non-toxic materials. For ABASK she explains how her love of nature, the process of making and family inform her life and work.
Stories of Italy Borealis Hand-Blown Murano Glass Tumblers (Set of 6)
Baba Tree Handwoven Elephant Grass Lidded Basket
Baba Tree Handwoven Elephant Grass Lidded Basket
It plays an enormous part. Even my drawings when designing a space are done by hand rather than using a programme like CAD. The process of drawing is like the process of making in that it’s slow and immersive. I work with many master craftsmen – wood, stone, metal – and understanding the method of construction informs the design. It’s a real dialogue which results in something that is highly personal and affects the process of making.
Natural, simple and thoughtfully detailed. The best design looks effortless: it works well, looks beautiful and in my work often exposes the method of construction. For me, it’s about making the bare bones beautiful and everything I’ve used in my home is naturally sourced.
Jaejin Choi Hand-Carved Birch Mixed Utensils (Set of 4)
Jaejin Choi Hand-Carved Birch Mixed Utensils (Set of 4)
Takada Cypress Tawashi Dustpan and Brush
Takada Cypress Tawashi Dustpan and Brush
Ingot Objects Ash-Glazed Ceramic Small Tea Bowl
Ingot Objects Ash-Glazed Ceramic Small Tea Bowl
Mervyn Gers Ceramics Hand-Glazed Ceramic Extra Large Jug
Lucas Castex No. 6 Hand-Carved Oiled Walnut Serving Board
The Leach Pottery Ceramic Lidded Jar
The Leach Pottery Ceramic Lidded Jar
Bird & Branch Hand-Turned Patterned Beech Bowl
Bird & Branch Hand-Turned Patterned Beech Bowl
I attended a wood spoon carving course at London Greenwood on Hackney City Farm where you can learn to whittle spoons and bowls. The course leader gave me a spoon he’d made. It’s such a beautiful object but also functional and you can feel the spirit of him in the spoon – you feel the human touch.
In my studio… but I also do great thinking when I’m cold-water swimming in Hampstead Heath.
Our home is currently under construction so the first thing was clay mud bricks and the last was baths.
Denis Colomb Dolpo Striped Nomad Cashmere Blanket (79in/2m)
Perfumer H Honey Hand-Blown Candle
Perfumer H Honey Hand-Blown Candle
Carlo Moretti Asymmetric Hand-Blown Murano Wine Glass
Woodworks by Ted Todd English Native Oak Live Edge Chopping Board
Benjamin Nauleau Handwoven White Willow Flower Basket
Benjamin Nauleau Handwoven White Willow Flower Basket
Futagami Brass Kitchen Roll Holder
Futagami Brass Kitchen Roll Holder
Bodman Blades Oak Burl French Chef's Knife
Bodman Blades Oak Burl French Chef's Knife
My candle oil burner. My mind is so active that in the evening I’m keen to wind down before I go to sleep. I turn off all my lights and just have candles to calm my parasympathetic nervous system.
Stones, sticks or shells. Wherever I go, I’m drawn to nature and I bring them home as mementos of places we have been to.
My children’s drawings.
I love to gift experiences: special, shared time together. But if it was an object, it would be Osanna Visconti’s candle holders. I love that the process of making is conveyed in her pieces. They are really organic and simple as well as being luxurious but more in their design and quality rather than looking bling.
My home. There is so much making and artisanship in this house. It’s a gesamkuntswerk. I hope to pass it to my children one day – that it is their forever home that they can enjoy too.