Taikoo Li Mantle

Interview with Alison Pickett

David Harber was commissioned by Alison Pickett to make several artworks for the Taikoo Li - a retail-led mixed-use 'urban lifestyle hub'.

What were your aesthetic criteria? To create a site-specific collection of monumental sculpture that was as diverse in genre and medium as is the heritage of Chengdu and China.

Why did you choose these pieces? I wanted a collection that told its own story. I chose the artists that I felt would be able to tell the client's stories of Chengdu through their art.

What were the significance of the pieces? Every sculpture has been influenced and inspired somehow by the cultural heritage of Chengdu.

How did David Harber's approach to the project compare with other artists? David embraced his own style by introducing the Ginkgo leaf motif into one of his existing sculptures, thus giving it a more Chinese resonance without detracting from the original sculptural integrity of his work.