Skip to main content

The coming of Storm Bert means that strong winds are forecast this weekend.

For the safety of all visitors, we’ll be closing areas of our grounds on Saturday and Sunday. The house and exhibitions remain fully open.

Exhibitions

The

Taotie

Until March 2026

Seven new photographic works responding to Compton Verney’s internationally renowned Chinese collection.

Opening Times

Tue – Sun: 10am-4.30pm

Mondays: Closed, except bank holidays

Galleries are open 10.30am – 4.30pm

Christmas Opening Hours
Christmas Eve: 10am – 3pm
Christmas Day: Closed
Boxing Day: Closed
27 – 29 Dec: Open as usual
New Years Eve: 10am – 3pm
New Years Day: Open as usual

About the
Exhibition

 

After an 18-month residency at Compton Verney, Gayle Chong Kwan (b.1974) presents an exhibition of her new work alongside Compton Verney’s internationally renowned Chinese collection of bronze food and wine vessels from the Shang Dynasty (about 1500 – about 1050 BCE) to the Ming Dynasty (1369 – 1644 CE).

The artist, known for large scale installations of videos and photos, has created seven new photographic works, responding to the collection during her residency. They are accompanied by ‘shrines’ made up of newly cast bronze offerings, and incorporate references to Chinese, Taoist and Buddhist cultures, as well as focusing on ideas around food, soil and the body.

The title of the exhibition refers to a Chinese mythical creature that would commonly be emblazoned on Shang Dynasty bronzes. She has made her own personal three-dimensional taotie motifs, made from collaged images and photographs, all different shapes and sizes. Each work will refer to a different Chinese animal of the zodiac, as well as drawing upon the myths of the Hungry Ghost festival, common in East Asian countries in which spirits of deceased ancestors rise.

The ambitious show will explore sustenance, memory and rituals, while also directly highlighting the politics and provenance of collections and museums in the modern age.

Image: Installation view, The Taotie by Gayle Chong Kwan. © Compton Verney, photo by Jamie Woodley.

Gayle Chong Kwan is undertaking an artist residency with Compton Verney as part of the 20/20 project, led by the UAL Decolonising Arts Institute and supported by funding from Arts Council England, the Freelands Foundation and University of the Arts London.