‘When we took the space in 2010 it had been a cassette tape factory,’ says Mc Lin. ‘The building was created in 1975, and obviously they ran out of work, which is when we took it over. We had to do massive renovations to get it looking the way it is now. Good lighting was important to us. We also wanted to have a white space so we could see our work out of the context of the studio. It’s also nice to have a space to put on shows, sometimes of other artist’s work.’
But, he adds, ‘While the gallery space part is important to us, it’s essential to have that dirty back part for making too.’
Left: A selection of the duo’s vases. Right: Mc Lin at work in the studio
How would the two describe their design aesthetic? ‘Sometimes people call us minimalist, some people call us modern. It depends a lot on what product you look at. A lot of people look at our products and ask us how many designers we have in our team, so I guess the best way to describe us is eclectic,’ says Progin.
‘It is very eclectic, but we’re very inspired by Hong Kong,” adds Mc Lin. ‘I’d say a modernist Western aesthetic but with Eastern elements mixed in. A dialogue between East and West.”