Hanging out with Picasso

The purpose of art, said Pablo Picasso, is to wash the dust of daily life off our souls. But why keep it cooped up inside? Just as art looks at home in the living room, it is also deserving of a place in the garden, courtyard or balcony.

Outdoor artwork might be anything from a trompe l'oeil to a sculpture or fountain, to garden ornaments or a wall hanging. Today's decorative planters can be works of art; if you have enough room, so can architectural features such as garden arches or, if space is tight, a decorative bird cage hung from the tiniest balcony.

Your chosen pieces may be formal or informal, functional or frivolous, exclusive and expensive, or cheap and mass-produced. Judd Harcombe, director of Resource Asia, advises going for a look that transforms the space but retains elements of the indoor design. 'Think about colours, spatial elements, furnishings, lighting and plants,' he says. 'The outdoor space can be contemporary while introducing elements of earth, wood and sky to your home.'

Belinda Corder Kruger, who runs art-lease, an art sales and leasing company in Hong Kong, says more people are buying 'serious outdoor art' as an investment. She began her business in 2000, leasing expensive one-off sculptures for installation in public spaces but, as the economy improved, the corporate bigwigs who were ordering these pieces wanted some for their own homes.

Corder Kruger puts this down to a wider appreciation of art. And a minimalist outdoor space, where the eye is drawn to one or two objets d'art, can be far more enjoyable than a less predictable jungle of foliage that requires regular upkeep.

Working with more than 300 artists, art-lease meets a growing demand for 'contemporary abstract' artworks that can be placed outdoors or indoors. Corder Kruger has noticed a trend away from the 'Bali spa' look outdoors, with light, contemporary pieces more in vogue.