Chinese mythological creatures and Medieval bestiaries climb, slither and mingle on the playful snuff bottle works by Hannah Lim, currently showing at London’s Wilder Gallery as part of the London-based artist’s solo exhibition, Bestiaries. Drawing on her Singaporean and British heritage, Lim’s practice embraces a modern reinterpretation of Chinoiserie, a popular 18th-century European style that replicated and appropriated Asian art and design. Reclaiming the genre, Lim reshapes and subverts its problematic undertones, instead embracing a vibrant cultural exchange.

Through vivid storytelling, Lim’s work contemporises the elaborate style of classic snuff bottles, decorating anthropomorphic interpretations with clay figures, chains and whimsical hanging ornaments. In Bestiaries, ten snuff bottles sit alongside six watercolour paintings depicting scenes inspired by classic texts such as texts, such as The Classics of Mountains and Seas and Pu Songling’s Tales of a Chinese Studio. We sat down with the artist to discuss her exhibition and work.

Alex James Taylor: Hey Hannah, congrats on the exhibition. Can you talk us through the curation process behind the show?
Hannah Lim: The show consists of a mixture of smaller-scale, intricate paintings and sculptures, all of which are inspired by Chinese and Medieval bestiaries. Both the snuff bottles and paintings are displayed on the walls, the snuff bottles sitting on ornate laser-cut shelves whilst the paintings are held in handmade frames. I wanted the sculptures and paintings to be placed next to one another but at alternating heights. There are lots of creatures and symbols that are captured both in the snuff bottles and in the paintings, so it’s nice to be able to look from work to work and spot these shared features.

AJT: The snuff bottles have become a signature of yours, where did this interest stem from? And how do you look to reimagine those traditional designs?
HL: I have always been intrigued by the intricacy, functionality and beauty of snuff bottles ever since I first came across them in the Chinese Collection at the V&A as a teenager. It seemed every time I visited a museum in the UK there always seemed to be a vibrant collection of snuff bottles, they became for me a visual emblem of my Chinese and British heritage. Snuff bottles were in the past treated as personal objects, detailed yet functional, they could fit inside the palm of your hand. In 2020, I began a project where I started developing a series of sculptures inspired by the intricate designs I had seen on so many snuff bottles.

My own snuff bottle-like works are far larger than the traditional designs and are often anthropomorphised with arms, legs and eyes. They also don’t contain snuff. They are however very intricate and ornate, similar to real snuff bottles. Initially, my own snuff bottles were designed in a way to memorialise certain aspects of my heritage, over time they’ve come to reflect different points in my research. Each of my own snuff bottles also has a hanging charm hidden within its lid, this extra detail is only revealed once the snuff bottle is opened up. This hidden inner detail references the tiny spoon attached to the lid of traditional snuff bottles. Whilst the spoon in traditional snuff bottles serves a functional purpose, the hanging charm within my own snuff bottles is purely ornamental and symbolic.

AJT: I’m interested to hear more about your relationship with the Chinoiserie style?
HL: During my undergraduate degree I was interested in using my practice as a way to explore my mixed Chinese-Singaporean and British heritage and became captivated and intrigued by the 18th Century design style Chinoiserie. Whilst I was intrigued by the exuberant, ornamental and fantastical nature of Chinoiserie I was also aware of its colonial history. I wanted to reimagine Chinoiserie in a more appropriate way, using the practice as a means to explore and reflect upon my own mixed cultural identity, whilst cherishing its extravagance and vibrance. From this initial interest, I began creating a series of large-scale furniture-like sculptures inspired by the creaturely and iconographic aesthetic of Chinoiserie. These sculptures were both functional and ornamental in their design and appearance. This initial point of interest has further influenced my smaller snuff bottles and now my paintings and drawings too.

AJT: Can you tell me about some of the mythical creatures and beasts interpreted in this exhibition?
HL: Recently, I’ve developed an interest in a series of classical Chinese texts – most notably the Chinese bestiary The Classics of Mountains and Seas. Many of the mythological creatures found within this bestiary have been reinterpreted and incorporated into the designs of both my snuff bottles and paintings. I’ve often chosen to replicate creatures that appear in both Chinese and Medieval bestiaries, such as dragons and phoenixes. My designs are inspired by the folklore and symbolism attached to these creatures, as well as their different cultural interpretations.

AJT: Your work is incredibly playful and vibrant – it really helps create accessibility around conversations on ornamentation…
HL: I’ve always liked the idea of my sculptures and paintings being quite playful, peculiar and intriguing. I think this playfulness invites people to really investigate the work and engage with its cultural context. ‘Ornament’ has always strongly influenced my work, every element of my practice from the snuff bottles to the paintings, embraces decorative detailing, vibrant colours and fantastical imagery. Historically, ornament went through a period of rejection, where it was viewed as being too exuberant and extravagant – I’ve wanted to embrace ornamentation within my work and challenge people’s tastes. I think ornament holds so much cultural history, it’s rich in symbolism and so I feel very strongly about its presence within my practice.

AJT: Can you tell us what you’re currently working on?
HL: At the moment I’m working towards an end-of-residency show that will open next February with Pangolin London. I’ve been doing the residency for the past year, creating a new body of work with the help of the Pangolin Foundry in Stroud. It’s been a really exciting opportunity to work in metal and understand a new sculptural process. I’m excited to see how using metal will change how my work is perceived and interacted with.

Hannah Lim: Bestiaries runs at London’s Wilder Gallery until 14th October.

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