Hannah Lim Draws on Her British-Singaporean Heritage in Sculptural Snuff Bottles

British-Singaporean artist Hannah Lim crafts anthropomorphic sculptures drawing from historical ceramics, classical Chinese literature, and her own heritage. Over several years, the London-based artist has focused on Chinoiserie, the 17th- and 18th-century European style that mimicked Chinese and Asian aesthetics for a Western market. Lim reimagines this practice with conscientiousness, using snuff bottles as a canvas for her artistic vision.

Snuff bottles, a 17th-century Chinese trend, hold powdered scented tobacco and were popular among the affluent. Fascinated by ornate designs and variations in museum collections, Lim began creating larger snuff bottles, each featuring a hidden charm that references the traditional tin spoon. Constructed from polymer clay, Jesmonite, and finished with chalk, acrylic paint, and gloss, her pieces incorporate miniature painted or relief portraits of animals and imaginary creatures.

Inspired by myths and ancient Chinese texts like The Classic of Mountains and Seas, Lim interprets fantastical creatures in her sculptures, such as "Sleeping Tiger Snuff Bottle." She continues to experiment with materials, including metal, and incorporates laser-cut elements in works like "Orchid Table." Lim also designs bespoke frames to extend her paintings, planning to add motifs to them as well.

View Lim's solo exhibition Reimaginings at the Museum of East Asian Art in Bath until November 14, or her works at Cynthia Corbett Gallery in Paris and a new public artwork in Paddington, London later this year. For updates, follow her Instagram.