Serrini – Crossing the realm of Eastern aesthetics

In the book “Light as Clouds, Gentle as Wind: Reflections on Eastern Aesthetics,” the master of aesthetics, Jiang Xun, reconsiders the meaning of Eastern aesthetics. Through the passage of time, he has come to understand the significance of time and the cyclical nature of life.

Rosewood, ink painting, blank space, and other elements of Eastern aesthetics are shining in this globalized era, yet they are also introverted and implicit. Perhaps it is time to reshape the Eastern aesthetics of this era, do our homework again, and embrace the era of abundant information.

“Focus on your own issues, not other people’s opinions.”

Returning to the present Serrini, she appears calm and composed, every gesture and movement exuding a sense of diva. There is no trace of pretense whether in public or private, because you fully understand that she only wants to be herself, not the typical idol that people know. Serrini has always carved a path for herself with her unique singing skills and musical style. After obtaining a doctoral degree, she became a singer, and throughout her journey, she never confined herself to any boundaries. For her, both creation and life are continuous learning processes. The various whimsical titles associated with her are truly unpredictable, and Serrini cannot be defined simply as “non-mainstream.” In interviews, she mentions Inner Peace multiple times and expresses her preference for staying away from crowds and focusing on her own pursuits rather than other people’s opinions. This is similar to Eastern aesthetics, which is actually a realization of life. Only when this realization can be sustained, can the future be long-lasting. Only when this realization can be passed down, can it be eternal.

On the occasion of this year’s autumn auction, Christie’s Hong Kong presents the special exhibition “Exquisite Elegance: Lin Fengmian’s Works from the Zhang Zongxian Collection”. Mr. Zhang Zongxian has been collecting these three Lin Fengmian works for over thirty years, displaying them prominently in his home. They are all top-notch pieces. There is also a special auction event called “Fragrance of Sandalwood: Classical Chinese Furniture from the Tseng Collection”, showcasing 28 exquisite pieces of huanghuali furniture. The huanghuali furniture collected by Piper Tseng is extremely rare and each piece bears witness to the collector’s admiration for literati of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, ZTYLEZ has specially invited Serrini, who does not like to follow the crowd, to interpret the Tseng Collection and Zhang Zongxian’s collection of Lin Fengmian’s paintings in a completely new way, transcending the realm of Eastern aesthetics.

“I like Monet and Impressionist paintings, I like that kind of hazy feeling!”

From a young age, Serrini has had a deep connection with art. She exudes a bit of an artistic vibe and her unique style has attracted many fans. She has always had a passion for writing and music, and since elementary school, Serrini has been learning various art forms. She has studied the violin and taken Chinese painting classes. With her artistic and creative nature, she finds joy in expressing herself through her creations. “On social media, I enjoy sharing many of my favorite artworks. It’s because when I travel, I don’t like going to crowded places. Instead, I prefer visiting different art galleries and antique shops. People are less likely to get too close to those things, and over time, I developed a love for art because I wanted to distance myself from crowds.” As she begins to describe her earliest memories of creating, Serrini recalls trying to write down her feelings in her diary during elementary school and turning them into songs. However, because her works seemed too awkward, she eventually decided to burn that diary!

Serrini said that whenever she visits a famous museum in a city, she tries to go there if possible. Visiting museums has become a must-do activity for her when traveling abroad. “I remember when I lived in Japan for a year as a child, I really enjoyed visiting The National Art Centre in Tokyo. There was an exhibition called ‘巨體’ (Giant), which was a floating exhibition. It still has a deep impact on me. I realized that a group of people walking out of a chicken skin paper can be considered an artwork, truly a manifestation of freedom.” Serrini, who calls herself “樹木真美” (Beautiful Trees), got this nickname because a professor mispronounced her name as “樹 Rini” during her studies. Since then, she has had a special affection for trees: “I really love art museums with outdoor gardens, where you can see the sunlight and flowers and trees. For example, the Getty Museum and MOMA in LA, and my favorite in New York is the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET)…. Actually, whenever I travel to any place, I always plan a museum day.”

During the recent summer vacation, I traveled to Amsterdam and London, and almost every day’s itinerary included art attractions. In addition, I also enjoy looking at furniture and seeing how others live. The most profound experience was when I visited a small private museum in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. To enter the museum, you had to go underground, and there was a room with 300 crucifixes of Jesus Christ nailed to the walls. It definitely had a huge impact on my emotions and thoughts, and opened my eyes. Just like art galleries around the world, has Serrini found any particular favorite artist? “I like Monet and Impressionist paintings, I like that hazy feeling! Hmm… there are just too many, maybe I’ll have to do another special feature to talk about it in detail.” Still as straightforward and humorous as ever.

Dreams and pure love make up the present Serrini.

Artists always have a strange and quirky temperament. Serrini has always been obsessed with that dreamy and pure atmosphere. When it comes to her December concert with Ivana and their latest release “Tree,” she said, “Originally, this concert was supposed to be held earlier, but due to various factors, it has been delayed until now. When we brainstormed for a name, we wanted to find something that we both have in common. We thought about our ethereal and elusive qualities, and wondered what name could express that ethereal, elusive, yet cute vibe. The word ‘Fairy’ seemed to suit us well. At that time, due to the severity of the pandemic, many things were restricted. So I thought, if only I could meet my friends, and that’s how the word ‘Fairy’ ended up at the beginning, becoming ‘Fairy Nice to Meet You.’ Finally, we can meet our fans!”

As for “Shuzai,” I am eager to write songs that resemble theme parks. It would be great if a theme park could be rented out for me to play in, haha! I often fantasize about having a Graduation Dinner and meeting fans in the ballroom of a theme park hotel, where I would ask everyone to dress in a specific dress code. The inspiration for this song, “Shuzai,” comes from my own love for dreamy and pure feelings, as well as the love of my fans. It’s a song about love, just like how a female star would create a self-love piece at a certain stage in life. It also aligns with the fact that all of my works this year include the word “tree,” which is part of my name, Serrini.

My life philosophy is very broad, and at this moment, what I most desire is inner peace.

In this shoot, Jia Shi obtainedHong KongDe provided the collection of collector Zeng Xianfen (Piper Tseng), who is a well-known senior collector of Chinese furniture. She embarked on a journey of collecting art in the 1990s and has always had a special fondness for the elegant charm of Ming Dynasty huanghuali furniture. Zeng’s extraordinary taste and love for classical Chinese furniture have created this rare and precious collection of huanghuali furniture with a rich history. When Serrini entered the venue that day and saw a series of treasures, she was very excited and asked if she had a habit of collecting antique furniture and paintings. “I don’t actually collect antiques. If you want to collect antiques, you need to have a warehouse, control humidity, and not move or use them frequently. My love for antiques is more practical. When I see something I like, I will make it mine and actually use it as a piece of furniture in my home.”

During the summer, I don’t use air conditioning. I really enjoy lying on a bamboo mat to keep cool, just like those old uncles. I also really like the hard and cool texture of Chinese-style furniture. So recently, I bought a long chair from the late Qing Dynasty. I definitely want to promote the widespread use of Chinese-style cool and refreshing furniture. As for paintings, I like ones that have a sense of history. Last year, I bought a painting with trees as the theme, created by an American-Italian painter. Actually, whenever I see a painting of trees, I want to own it. Maybe I feel like I lack the wood element!” Serrini stood in front of Lin Fengmian’s painting “Autumn Forest” and stopped to appreciate it. She said that at this moment, she really likes paintings with scenic themes, and looking at them can calm her mood. This painting depicts a distant mountain, tall trees, a warm and bright scene, and even the reflection exudes a warm autumn feeling. It is a rare and beautiful piece among Lin Fengmian’s autumn landscape works.

Serrini does not have a deep understanding of Chinese art such as landscape paintings and antiques: “However, I remember learning landscape painting when I was young. It was a painting called ‘Along the River During the Qingming Festival,’ and I used a lot of paper to piece together a long painting. The trees in it were all pink, but I ended up throwing it away. Being able to have a close encounter with these precious antique furniture pieces makes me very excited. Of course, I will try to control my desires and carefully use my fingertips to feel their preciousness. It would be great if my friend’s Huanghuali wood furniture store could let me intern there!”

White space and emptiness

Now is the era of information explosion and rapid social trends. We have gained more knowledge, but we may not necessarily have the corresponding “thinking ability” to match. Instead, we rely more on one-way, overly simplified information and blindly believe various seemingly true but actually false statements. As an independent and non-mainstream singer, criticism and different voices are bound to arise. When asked how she empties herself and takes a moment to catch her breath, Serrini says, “This is a very good question. My life philosophy is broad, and at this moment, I most hope to have inner peace. External voices should not affect my mood too much because I am a rational individual who knows how to think independently. Recently, I feel that this world is really filled with too much information. Different kinds of things happen every day, and everyone is very busy. As a cultural producer, I also create things in a rush, just like everyone else. Hong Kong people are used to this rhythm. For example, I have some friends whose busyness may not be solely because they are Hong Kong people, but because of their personality and zodiac sign. Even when they travel, they still live in their work. Maybe I am the kind of person who doesn’t want to do anything, so I attract these people who are the opposite of me to help me handle everything.”

“Accepting your current state is accepting that you are worth it, and that’s how you achieve inner peace.”

Serrini, who loves antique furniture, denies having an old soul: “I am a happy soul, full of curiosity about the world. Humans are kind, and because of this curiosity, I love trying new things or having conversations with myself when creating, rather than trying to please others.” People who are passionate about antiques or vintage items appreciate their imperfections because they make each piece unique. Serrini has a unique perspective on this: “Perfection represents my love for who I am now, understanding my current state. Even if there could be a better version of myself in the future, in this moment, I have already done what I wanted to do. Looking back 3 to 4 years ago, I thought I was perfect at that time, but now I realize how foolish I was. Maybe I wasn’t careful enough in handling problems or trusted the wrong people. Accepting my current state means accepting that I am worth it, and that’s how I can achieve inner peace.”

Piper Tseng, a collector, once said that collecting is a very important and enjoyable part of life. Does she agree? “Absolutely, especially when you reach a certain stage in life, you start buying things that have no practical use. For example, my fans love buying my CDs, vinyl records, and figures. I also see my friends buying expensive paintings to hang in their living rooms and then invite a group of friends over for a hot pot. I definitely don’t recommend this because the humidity can damage the artwork. Personally, I would love to be part of this trend and support beautiful things. When you reach a certain stage in life, you really want to invest in some valuable pieces with historical significance. Having passion is great, and wanting to collect things shows that you still have enthusiasm in life.”

If you are interested in this collaboration’s artwork, you may visit Hall 3D at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai from November 26th to December 2nd. Christie’s Hong Kong will be showcasing 28 exquisite pieces of Huanghuali furniture from the Zeng Collection, as well as presenting “Exquisite Elegance – Zhang Zongxian’s Collection of Lin Fengmian’s Works,” allowing you to experience the relentless pursuit and passion for Chinese aesthetics.

_{Executive Producer: Angus Mok
Art Direction: Mimi Kong
Photography: Leung Mo
Videography: Kason Tam & Andy Lee
Video Editor: Kason Tam & Andy Lee
Styling & Text: Mimi Kong assisted by Yoanah Chan
Makeup: San Chan
Hair: Jean Tong
BTS Photography: Kris To
Designer: Amd Yip
Wardrobe: Viktor & Rolf (Harvey Nichol), LANVIN, Jason Wu Collection (Net-a-Porter), Alexander McQueen, Shiatzy Chen, Richard Quinn (Net-a-Porter), Alexandre Vauthier,(Net-a-Porter), Charles & Keith, Christian Louboutin
Artpieces: CHRISTIE’S}