London-based artist Hannah Lim channels historical ceramics, classical Chinese literature, and her British-Singaporean heritage into a vivid series of sculptural snuff bottles. Long intrigued by Chinoiserie—the 17th- and 18th-century design phenomenon in which European producers mimicked Chinese and other Asian motifs—she approaches that legacy with a critical, inventive eye. In my own work, I attempt to reclaim and re-imagine this practice in a more conscientious way, Lim says in a statement. My sculptures often draw inspiration from specific cultural styles or processes.
Recasting a 17th-century object
The snuff bottle emerged in China in the 17th century, designed to hold a powdered, scented tobacco—originating in the Americas—that is scooped with a tiny spoon and inhaled into the nose. As in Europe, the popularity of snuff and its ornate containers spread especially among the affluent. After studying examples in museum collections around the U.K., Lim was struck by their variety and ornamentation and began to experiment with related motifs, then pushed the format in scale. While a traditional bottle is jewel-like and just a couple of inches in diameter, hers stand several inches tall and typically require two hands to hold. Initially, my own snuff bottle works were designed in a way to highlight certain personal aspects of my heritage. Over time, theyve come to reflect different points in my research, Lim tells Colossal. Each of my own snuff bottles also has a hanging charm hidden within its lid. The hanging charm references the tiny spoon attached to the lid of traditional snuff bottles.
Among the titles that signal her narrative range are Golden Tiger Snuff Bottle, Phoenix Spirit House Snuff Bottle, Sleeping Tiger Snuff Bottle, Midnight Crane Snuff Bottle 1, Double Fish Snuff Bottle, Bats and Peaches Snuff Bottle, and Fenghuang Snuff Bottle, alongside paintings like Peach and Cranes and Watchful Crane.
Materials and myth
Lim builds her forms with polymer clay and Jesmonite, a casting material made by blending a mineral powder with liquid acrylic polymer. Chalk, acrylic paint, and a glossy finish add detail, including small painted or relief portraits of animals and imaginary creatures. A major touchstone is the ancient Chinese tome The Classic of Mountains and Seas, a mostly fantastical account of more than 550 mountains and 300 waterways. Ive been attempting to interpret the text through my work, using the enchanting alchemic descriptions of these creatures as inspiration for my most recent series of sculptures and paintings, the artist says.
Continuing to test scale and material, Lim has introduced metal and laser-cut elements in recent sculptures such as Orchid Table. She also fabricates bespoke frames that extend her paintings and plans to incorporate motifs onto the frames themselves.
In the U.K., Lims solo exhibition Reimaginings is on view through November 14 at the Museum of East Asian Art in Bath. She will also show work later this month with Cynthia Corbett Gallery in Paris, and later this year she will unveil a new public artwork in Paddington, London.
