In collaboration with Tatler China.

‘While I can’t say that my journey into art collecting started entirely because of my wife, she has certainly exerted significant influence on my passion. One of her early acquisitions from her first visit to Art Basel Hong Kong was a portrait by Elizabeth Peyton. My approach to collecting is different; I tend to focus more on works related to architecture or that carry an architectural quality. We often exchange thoughts on art – whenever we come across something intriguing, one of us will say, “Hey, I think you’d really like this.”

‘In my professional life, our company sits at the crossroads of architecture and art, promoting cross-disciplinary collaboration between architects and artists. We want architecture and art to become an integral part of people’s lives. For me, collecting is not just about acquiring art for art’s sake, but also how to integrate it into our design, especially in public spaces.

‘Our team often discusses art in meetings and visits exhibitions whenever possible. What excites me the most are the works that blur the lines between architecture and visual art – a perspective that may differ from that of other collectors. Cai Lei’s sculpture Block Six, for example, uses architectural symbols and language to tell a story.

‘An artist in my collection that always comes to mind is Mao Yan, whom I have admired for a long time. As an architect with a love for painting, I deeply appreciate artists with outstanding technical skills, and Mao Yan’s meticulous work is extraordinary. His monochrome palette of black, white, and gray is also popular among architects.

‘Another artist I admire is Chen Yujun. In 2018, I acquired one of his works, Wedding Banquet No.3. The piece conveys the idea that life is a mix of joy and sorrow, but also reminds us to remain hopeful. This painting now hangs in our company’s main conference room and we lent it to be included in his solo exhibition [at the Long Museum] in 2022.

‘Last year, I also acquired a piece by the artist Ni Youyu titled ART023 (2023), which is a model of a gallery booth containing miniature paintings. It adopts a curatorial approach and is, in fact, a performance art piece.

‘There are two guiding principles that I want to implement in my collection. The first is to maintain an architectural perspective. This has been a consistent focus for me, although it’s become more personal over time.

‘The second principle is to continue collecting artists like Mao Yan. A previous article referred to him as “a genius yet slow artist,” and I admire those who treat time as an ally, fully exploring its potential and pushing the limits in their creative process. These artists often have a distinctive approach to their work, and each phase of their career brings new, significant pieces.

‘A key aspect of my approach to collecting is selecting pieces that artists or curators would want to borrow for institutional exhibitions in the future. These pieces are often representative of a certain phase in the artist’s career, and I am drawn to such defining pieces. It feels like acquiring a piece of the artist’s career.

‘Like any collector, I’ve learned my share of lessons along the way. One example is missing out on a work by Chen Ke that I now regret not purchasing. Our emotions and thoughts change over time, just as an artist’s practice evolves. This fluidity applies to collecting as well, as our tastes and aesthetic preferences continue to evolve. Rather than calling these “lessons,” I prefer to think of them as “experiences.” Over time, I’ve become clearer about what I want. I no longer buy impulsively. Moving forward, I intend to collect fewer pieces, but with greater focus.

‘Collecting isn’t a simple matter of choosing between emotion and reason. It’s neither purely emotional nor purely rational. Without a rational foundation, collecting can become like gambling, driven by impulse and easily leading to regret.

‘For me, “legacy” is about the mutual influence between myself and those around me. My wife is a central figure in this. We make it a point to visit exhibitions together whenever we have the time on weekends. Our shared love of art has given us a common language and many shared joys.

‘In the end, whether it’s through my collection or my work, my goal is to share beauty with a broader audience, allowing more people to see and experience it. This passion has always been close to my heart.’