Trailblazers

Art in a Stately Home
Yu Fen Chen

Age: 33

Nationality: Taiwanese

Countries lived in as an adult: Taiwan and England

Qualifications: Degree in International Design, Taipei; Degree Art in Architecture, University of East London.

Career Path: Worked for an architect in Taipei for two years before coming to England to study for second degree. Worked on project to design an adventure playground in Cambridge for disabled children. Opened Cusp Gallery in May 1999.

Yu Fen Chen calls herself Bianca when she is in England, and she has been here for nine years now. After a fateful meeting a sculpture called Martyn when studying in London, they married and now live in Northamptonshire with their two children.

'Chinese people believe in fate,' explains Bianca, 'and fate had a lot to do with the opening of the gallery.'

A little under two years ago Martyn cut his fingers on an angle grinder so badly that he could not work or drive for a month. Instead he filled his days by walking. One particularly windy day he found himself in Burghley Park, the Capability Brown designed grounds of Burghley House in Stamford, Lincolnshire, a couple of miles from where they live. When he saw how many trees had blown down Martyn found the head forester and asked if he might use some of the wood for his sculptures. The very next day Lady Victoria Leatham, the owner of the Burghley Estate was on his doorstep inviting Martyn to provide a series of annual sculptures for the park and to act as its curator.

The sculpture park opened last year and now has a rotating exhibition which is a true delight, set in the stunning lakeside grounds of the stately home once owned by Lord Cecil, the Olympic running champion.

Bianca seized the opportunity to suggest that she open a modern art gallery above the gift shop in the courtyard of Burghley House, as a perfect complement to the sculpture park.

'We decided to name it The Cusp Gallery because we wanted it to be a place where fine art meets craft, its themes and materials.'

Work from local artists in wood, stone, ceramics, textiles and watercolour are displayed alongside reasonably priced jewellery and papier machéclocks.

Bianca did all the interior design of the light filled gallery herself, creating display units and plinths that provide a modern look combined with ancient Feng Shui principles of flow and movement. Ikebana flower arrangements and a Zen garden are among the oriental touches she is unable to resist. Responsible for finding artists and selecting the pieces for display Bianca also minds the shop single handedly when the house is open to visitors.

The Chinese value of all that is modern, believing that people who surround themselves with antiques dwell in the past.

'We believe that everything is circular and that what we do now affects the future and our children. That is why I like to go into the village school and teach the children how to make things from recycled items,' she says. Last year the school made Chinese lanterns and learned about Chinese New Year. All the lanterns were then displayed in the park.

A touch of the orient has come to Stamford.

If you would like to visit the Cusp Gallery it is open from 12-5, Wednesday to Sunday from Easter to October. Find out about Burghley House from http://www.stamford.co.uk.