Alan Chan: Collecting Inspiration for Design

Alan Chan, the renowned designer with an impeccable eye for Asian artifacts, has amassed a remarkable collection of over 10,000 exquisitely designed and crafted pieces.

Alan Chan: Collecting Inspiration for Design was recognized with the prestigious Grand Award in the DFA Design for Asia Awards 2023.

This rare personal insight into the influences and inspirations behind acclaimed Hong Kong designer and collector Alan Chan gives an intimate view of the collection of objets he has fastidiously assembled throughout his life, and the creative process they have informed.

The pioneering, award-winning, and self-taught designer is known for his inventive and innovative designs. Effectively organized by theme, from tea to dragons, and with an emphasis on objets produced for China Trade, many of the elegant pieces photographed for this book showcase Chan’s insatiably inquiring mind. They offer insights into how his passion for collecting drives his characteristically whimsical signature take on East and West, tradition and innovation, where there is always a twist of the unexpected. Part autobiography, part reflection on creativity, it is full of insights into Chan’s remarkable design process, making it a treat for the eyes and a valuable resource for new and established designers alike.

Catherine Shaw is an independent architecture, design, and art critic and published author. Trained as an urban planner, she has written extensively on urban development and arts and crafts in Asia. Aric Chen is an independent curator and writer based in Shanghai. He is professor and founding director of the Curatorial Lab at the College of Design and Innovation, Tongji University, and was formerly the lead curator for Design and Architecture at M+, Hong Kong.