An artist couple’s wacky, whimsical Hong Kong flat
A simple and earthy palette provides a backdrop to a carefully collated collection of design objects and furniture in a 1,400 square feet Tai Hang walk-up, writes Catherine Shaw
Artists Jesse McLin and Julie Progin design quirky bowls, vases and tableware inspired by nature. So it comes as no surprise to find that their home pays homage to all things organic.
“We’re designers and design collectors. We feel at home surrounded by the objects and furniture we have carefully collated over time. Each piece has a story behind it that inspires us,” Progin says.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Progin studied textiles at École Duperré, in Paris, before undertaking a product-design course at Parsons School of Design, in New York. It was there that she met McLin, whose works span a wide range of media, from wooden sculpture to painting, glass and ceramics.
After five years in New York, the couple relocated to Hong Kong and, in 2008, they opened a studio in Chai Wan, where they produce a range of contemporary ceramics, and host exhibitions and creative events.
“We named our studio Latitude 22N, thinking of the lines connecting kilns we work with in Asia with our own kiln in Hong Kong, at 22 degrees north,” Progin says.
Their work is also on show in their 1970s, 1,400 sq ft, colonial-style walk-up apartment in Tai Hang, which is blessed with high ceilings.
