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A Colossal report profiles London-based artist Hannah Lim’s sculptural snuff bottles, which reinterpret a historical Chinese object through her British-Singaporean heritage, research and interest in Chinoiserie. Her solo exhibition, Reimaginings, is on view at the Museum of East Asian Art in Bath through November 14, 2026; a new public artwork is also planned for Paddington later this year.
London-based artist Hannah Lim is presenting oversized, sculptural interpretations of traditional snuff bottles that draw on her British-Singaporean heritage, Chinese literature and historical ceramics, according to a report by Colossal. The work is on view in Lim’s solo exhibition Reimaginings at the Museum of East Asian Art in Bath through November 14, 2026, bringing her investigation of Chinoiserie and cultural representation to a public exhibition.
Lim’s bottles take their cue from small, decorative containers associated with snuff, a powdered, scented tobacco inhaled through the nose. The form became popular in China in the 17th century, and ornate examples circulated among affluent users. After seeing bottles in museum collections around the U.K., Lim began experimenting with their motifs. Her sculptures enlarge the portable objects: they stand several inches tall and are generally designed to be held with both hands.
The artist combines polymer clay and Jesmonite, a casting material made from mineral powder and liquid acrylic polymer. She finishes the pieces with chalk, acrylic paint and gloss, and adds painted or raised images of animals and imagined creatures. Each bottle contains a small hanging charm concealed inside its lid, a detail Lim says refers to the tiny spoon attached to the lids of traditional bottles.
Lim told Colossal that her work initially highlighted personal aspects of her heritage and later came to reflect different stages of her research. Her recent imagery draws on The Classic of Mountains and Seas, an ancient Chinese text describing fantastical geography and creatures. Lim said she has been interpreting its accounts through sculptures and paintings. Colossal also reports that she is experimenting with metal and laser-cut elements, including in the work Orchid Table.
Reworking Chinoiserie Through Personal History
Lim’s work engages with Chinoiserie, a European design fashion in which makers adapted Chinese and other Asian motifs for Western audiences. The practice raises questions about how cultural forms are borrowed, represented and received. Lim describes her approach as an attempt to reclaim and reimagine that history more conscientiously; that is the artist’s stated intention, rather than an independently established assessment of the work’s effect.
The scale and materials make the historical form legible as contemporary sculpture rather than as a functional container. The exhibition also offers visitors a chance to encounter Lim’s use of research, mythology and personal heritage in person. Its relevance extends beyond the objects themselves: it places a current artist’s response to cultural exchange within a museum setting devoted to East Asian art.
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From Portable Containers to Large Sculpture
Snuff bottles were made to hold powdered tobacco and were typically compact enough to carry. Their ornamental designs varied across materials and styles. The tobacco itself originated in the Americas, while the bottle form became associated with consumption in China from the 17th century onward, as described in the Colossal report.
Lim has worked with Chinoiserie for several years, using historical ceramics and other cultural references as points of departure. She has also drawn on classical Chinese literature, especially The Classic of Mountains and Seas, which Colossal describes as a largely fantastical account of more than 550 mountains and 300 waterways. Her practice now includes painting and other sculptural forms alongside the bottles.
Details Still to Be Confirmed
The report does not provide full exhibition details, including the complete list of works on view, visitor numbers or the museum’s assessment of audience response. It also does not specify the date or design for Lim’s planned Paddington public artwork, which is expected later in 2026. The report says she will have work on view with Cynthia Corbett Gallery in Paris later in October, but does not give dates or a venue address.
Lim’s comments explain her intentions and research, but the source does not include independent commentary from curators, historians or visitors. The precise form and materials of future projects, including her experiments with metal, remain in development.
Exhibition and Public Artwork Ahead
Reimaginings remains on view at the Museum of East Asian Art in Bath through November 14, 2026. Colossal reports that Lim will also show work with Cynthia Corbett Gallery in Paris later in October and is scheduled to unveil a new public artwork in Paddington, London, later this year. Specific dates and further project details were not included in the report.
Lim has said she is continuing to test new scales and materials, particularly metal, while developing painted frames that incorporate motifs from the works they surround. Updates on the exhibition, public artwork and studio practice may clarify how those experiments develop.
Key Questions
Where can visitors see Hannah Lim’s snuff-bottle sculptures?
They are featured in Lim’s solo exhibition Reimaginings at the Museum of East Asian Art in Bath, which is scheduled to run through November 14, 2026.
What materials does Lim use?
According to Colossal, Lim builds the works with polymer clay and Jesmonite, then uses chalk, acrylic paint and gloss for finishing details.
What is the historical basis for the sculptures?
They reinterpret the form of traditional snuff bottles, small containers associated with powdered tobacco that became popular in China in the 17th century. Lim also draws on historical ceramics and Chinese literature.
What projects are planned after the Bath exhibition?
Colossal reports that Lim will show work with Cynthia Corbett Gallery in Paris later in October 2026 and plans to unveil a public artwork in Paddington, London, later in the year. Exact dates and further details were not provided.
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