Private View

Elisabeth de Brabant, eponymous owner of the Chinese contemporary art gallery, shares her serene Anfu Lu lane home with a husband, two kids, two dogs and an extensive art collection. After razing the decaying original, the newly built home’s sophisticated, eclectic interior is a reflection of de Brabant’s artistic leanings – Chinese antiquities elegantly juxtapose with clean, modern lines. “I look for artists seeking a new direction,” Brabant says, “artists who have soul and look back on history to create their own poetic diatribe.” With paintings and sculptures illuminated by soft spotlights against putty-colored walls, her home is an intimate gallery, frequently enjoyed by an influential circle of collectors, artists and tastemakers. Here she guides us through her latest in-home exhibition featuring artist Hung Liu.

One piece she’ll never sell, de Brabant chanced upon this Hung Liu canvas in an empty warehouse in 2004. “I was blown away. It was a new discovery: an initiation into another dimension of Chinese contemporary art.”

Elisabeth de Brabant, with her two dogs Buddha and Paris.

In the spacious living room, the painting ‘Chinese Profile II’ from Hung Liu’s series of Bastard Paintings hangs above the marble fireplace.

“Most people think I’m only interested in paintings.” These statues, some of her favorite acquisitions, are by Liu Bolin.

de Brabant designed her own bed and only sleeps in Rouge Baiser linens – “The best sheets in the world!” The painting, made from smashed stone pigments, is by Peng Wei.

The garden’s green lawn is punctuated by white marble sculptures by artist Wang Xiaohui. Variations of these figures in gold are dotted throughout the home.

For her, living with art is like testing it. “I ask myself, ‘After living with a piece for 20 years, will it still deeply affect me?’ The answer can be one indication of good art.”

The dramatic dining room comes alive through the mix of antiques with the modernity of Hung Liu’s painting ‘Travelogue I’ and a gold-plated sculpture by Wang Xiaohui.
Her daughter’s bedroom is dominated by an antique Chinese wedding bed.
//Elisabeth de Brabant’s home was designed by KTD design group and its interior design was done by Claudia Urvois and Kevin Hsu at KRT Design Group.