A sleek table with twig-shaped legs stands next to a full-scale pair of lifelike penguin statues; a decorative lotus plant emits a soft light in a room heavy on earthy greys; a mammoth rabbit sculpture that you can sit on. These are the works of Robert Kuo.
An artisan who works in a variety of fields, from practical furnishings to entirely decorative items, Kuo's works defy classification, the designer entirely comfortable in furniture, lighting, sculpture or interiors. But like many a great artist, Kuo's artistic temperament can be traced through his history, a combination of upbringing, exposure and being in the right (or wrong) place at the right time.
Born in Beijing in 1946, mere months after Japanese forces had retreated from the city, Kuo was practically an artist out of the womb: his father was an influential watercolour painter and art professor, a respected man within artistic circles.
His family soon moved to Taiwan -but while most of the world was peacefully rebuilding, the country was facing its notorious 'white terror' period, a 38-year struggle that saw more than 140,000 Taiwanese imprisoned or executed for their suspected political opposition.
There was a touch of silver to all the slaughter; they say art flourishes in times of conflict, and for a young artist growing up in a state of civil unrest, where dissidents are routinely being terrorised right outside your doorstep, influences are made apparent and temperament's quickly formed.
It helped, of course, that he came from a background which encouraged artistic endeavours. 'Growing up in a family that emphasised the importance of the arts allowed me to be comfortable in expressing my artistic side,' says Kuo. 'Choosing this path was actually more natural than pursuing other professions such as medicine or law.'