Serrini interview: Hong Kong singer Serrini talks about how museums, Monet and rare Chinese hardwood furniture shape her music and her search for inner peace.
In his book Cloud Light, Wind Light: On Eastern Aesthetics, aesthetician Chiang Hsun reconsiders what Eastern aesthetics mean, and reflects on time and the idea that life is a circle that returns again and again. Elements such as Huanghuali hardwood, ink painting and the use of empty space remain subtle and restrained, and in an age of intense information they are having a new moment. It may be time to restudy Eastern aesthetics and the practice of quiet attention for our era.
Serrini interview: Focus on her work, not other people’s noise
Serrini appears composed and assured, every movement carrying the presence of a diva but never feeling posed, because she is clearly intent on being herself rather than fitting an idol mold. She has cut a distinctive path with an unusual vocal style and songwriting. After earning a doctorate she chose to pursue music, and she says creating and living are constant lessons. She often speaks of inner peace and deliberately avoiding crowds, focusing on her own work rather than other people’s voices.
This fall Christie’s Hong Kong presented two themed auctions that provided the backdrop for a new photo story. Christie’s Hong Kong is showing 28 Huanghuali furniture pieces from the Zeng family collection and a set of Lin Fengmian paintings from collector Zhang Zongxian (張宗憲), works Zhang has kept on display at home for more than 30 years. ZTYLEZ invited Serrini to interpret those collections in a fresh way, bringing together contemporary music and historical Chinese aesthetics.
Serrini interview: Museums, Monet and early creative experiments
Serrini traces her artistic instincts to childhood, when she studied violin and Chinese brush painting, and wrote from an early age. She says traveling museums became a personal ritual because she prefers quieter galleries to crowded tourist sites. A floating exhibition at Tokyo’s National Art Center left a strong impression because it made everyday movement feel like an act of freedom.
She remembers living in Japan for a year and visiting Tokyo museums, and on another trip she was shocked and moved by a small private museum in Barcelona that displayed 300 nailed crucifixes in an underground room. Asked whether she has favorite artists, she answers simply: she loves Monet and the Impressionists for their haze and atmosphere, and says that could fill another feature.
Dreams, purity and Serrini’s new songs
Serrini describes a long fascination with dreamlike and pure themes. She and fellow artist Ivana delayed a December concert because of timing, then chose a name that reflected both artists’ slightly ethereal sensibility. They titled the show “Fairy Nice to Meet You” as a way to celebrate finally meeting fans after pandemic restrictions.
Her new single “Tree” grew from a wish to write a theme park song, imagining private use of a park ballroom to hold a graduation dinner with fans and a strict dress code. The song is about love and selfhood, and ties into Serrini’s recurring tree imagery, including the Chinese character for tree embedded in her stage name.
Inner peace, quiet appetite and respectful use of antiques
For the shoot Christie’s Hong Kong lent pieces from collector Piper Tseng (曾憲芬), a renowned collector of classical Chinese furniture who began collecting in the 1990s and has a particular affection for Ming dynasty Huanghuali pieces. Serrini was visibly excited when she first saw those treasures and said she admires antiques but does not approach collecting in a strict archival way.
She explained she does not keep antiques in a warehouse or strictly control humidity, but when she finds an object she loves she will make it part of daily life and use it as furniture at home. She described sleeping on bamboo mats in summer and appreciating the cool, tactile feel of traditional Chinese pieces, and said she recently bought a late Qing dynasty long bench to promote the comfortable practicality of Chinese furniture.
Serrini said she enjoys landscapes and works that calm her mood. Standing before Lin Fengmian’s Autumn Woods, she described the painting as unusually warm among his autumn scenes, with distant mountains, tall trees and reflections that carry a golden autumn light.
Blank space and intentional emptiness
In an era of information overload people often lack the capacity to reflect, and may accept simplified or misleading messages. As an independent artist who is not mainstream, Serrini hears criticism and many different voices. She said she aims to preserve space to breathe, and that at this moment she most wants inner peace. She described herself as a rational person who values independent thought.
Accepting yourself is the path to inner peace
Serrini rejects the label of an old soul and instead calls herself a happy soul, curious about the world and eager to try new things. She says vintage and imperfect objects feel more singular because they bear traces of life and use. Accepting who she is now, flaws and all, is how she reaches inner peace.
Piper Tseng has said collecting is an important and joyful part of life. Serrini agrees and sees collecting as a sign of passion, a way to invest in objects that carry history and meaning rather than only buying to display.
Exhibition details: Christie’s Hong Kong will display “Zhuomu Qinxiang: The Zeng Family Collection of Chinese Classical Furniture,” showing 28 Huanghuali furniture masterpieces, alongside “Splendor and Radiance: Paintings from the Zhang Zongxian Collection,” at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2. Visitors can view the works in Hall 3D.
Executive Producer: Angus Mok
Art Direction: Mimi Kong
Photography: Leung Mo
Videography: Kason Tam and Andy Lee
Video Editor: Kason Tam and Andy Lee
Styling and Text: Mimi Kong assisted by Yoanah Chan
Makeup: San Chan
Hair: Jean Tong
BTS Photography: Kris To
Designer: Amd Yip
Wardrobe: Viktor & Rolf (Harvey Nichols), 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
Art pieces: Christie’s
