The House of Rebirth: On Mortality, Meaning, and the Art of Ashley Chiam
At the heart of art platform Supper House is a philosophy that views art not as a commodity or a political tool, but as a "magic potion" that can bring people together. For Ashley Chiam, the curator and driving force behind the space, this vision is the very foundation of his latest collaboration with Journey East: 开门见山 (Open the door and see the mountains).
This ambitious, eight-month-long art series is rooted in Ashley’s deeply personal journey—a path that has led him to believe in art as a tool to bridge differences, inspire life, and create harmony.
We sit down with Ashley to explore the meaning behind this collaboration and the unique worldview that shapes his curatorial vision.
A Pivotal Reckoning
Ashley’s philosophy was not born amongst the white walls of a sterile gallery, but in the crucible of a tumultuous season. He recounts a pivotal period in his life when a series of crises forced him to confront his own legacy and purpose.
“A very pivotal turning point was during the period where I was based in Hong Kong during the season of 2019/2020. That was when I was employed by a global MNC, and only recently had a promotion, and a relocation package, with good career prospects. What started out great, was uprooted by the Hong Kong demonstrations of 2019. Eventually that came to a pass, and thinking that it will be happily ever after, only to be further complicated by the Covid-19 outbreak merely months later.”
Simultaneously, a loved one was diagnosed with late-stage cancer, a challenge that landed Ashley in numerous 14-day quarantines. This isolation, he shares, was a forced period of introspection that brought him face-to-face with mortality.
“It made me think about the mortality of me, and us, about how I would like to be remembered and my legacy. It also forced me to think about what were my dreams and goals, and what I was seeking when I first graduated from school… It forced me to reckon with all the technicalities and challenges that I had faced, and what I should do about it going forward.”
Through this profound period of reckoning, Ashley came to understand that art and culture could be a powerful unifier. It was a tool he could use, combined with his accumulated design knowledge, to communicate purposefully with others and inspire life.
The Wisdom of a Blank Canvas
The series' title, 开门见山, literally means to see the distant mountains through a doorway. For Ashley, whether one sees a mountain or a molehill is a matter of subjectivity. The value we attribute to anything is not fixed; it is layered and shaped by individual life experiences. This is not a paradox but a design choice meant to foster honest dialogue.
“Life itself is a journey of paradoxes and ironic truths. To be certain, it was designed to create conversations, and thus, a bit of ambiguity would allow these uncertainties in conversing to flourish, to allow one to let their thoughts be conveyed.”
The title, he says, is “robust enough to withstand critical thinking, as indeed, a mountain is a mountain, only to be allocated in its right value via its beholder.”
This philosophical foundation served as a crucial starting point for the art calendar at Journey East. Supper House’s theme for each year is defined by a singular guiding philosophy, with 2025’s titled “white,” a metaphor for a blank piece of paper waiting to be filled with values and information. The different artists will, in essence, each contribute a stroke to this blank canvas.
A Shared Spirit of Hospitality
The collaboration with Journey East was a natural and organic one, born from a shared philosophy. Ashley was drawn to the store not as a conventional showroom, but as a home—a welcoming space filled with a curated collection of curios and modern furniture that somehow works well together.
“It is as though you have entered the house of a person whom one knows dearly… At the core of their business lies in an inimitable air of hospitality and conviviality… It is a spirit that we hold dear at Supper House.”
It was this singular vision that influenced and encouraged both brands to do good through their respective industries, seeing their work as a form of hospitality that can be extended to an entire community.
A Ròjak of Art
Over the course of eight months, 开门见山 will feature a mix of artists from different backgrounds and at varying stages in their careers. This eclectic approach to curation has been a hallmark of Supper House.
“It was designed such that information could be shared and knowledge could be passed on. I truly believe that true innovation is given a chance to grow where there is an overlap in between disciplines. The grey areas created allow opportunities where an exchange can happen, and hopefully paves the way for leading to fruitful interactions.”
The Art of Coming Home
The journey of art, Ashley Chiam believes, is the same as the journey of life: it’s about finding your way back to a place of feeling. The Supper House 开门见山 series is not a cold collection of works, but a soft-spoken invitation to pause and reflect.
After his time in Hong Kong, he learned that sometimes, the most important thing you can do is find an anchor. The hope is that for a visitor, stepping into this space will feel like coming home, offering a quiet moment of clarity in a loud world.
It's a reminder that even when things feel broken, the act of making and sharing art can, and will, put them back together.
开门见山: Supper is a meal and a House is a home
Presented by Supper House
is ongoing till January 2026 at Journey East
All photography by Owen Tee