On Thursday 18 June, a group of Shell intermediate and advanced Chinese pupils visited the Museum of East Asian Arts (MEAA) in Bath, founded by OM Sir Brian McElney OBE (B1 1946-50). A wonderful opportunity for our pupils to witness the contributions their senior Marlburian has made in promoting Pan-Asian arts and culture.
We are so grateful to Rose Brayne Patterson, the Engagement Manager of MEAA Bath, for hosting us and delivering such a meaningful tour. Her candid and thoughtful insights into the impact and history of Asian arts in the British landscape, including the Chinoiserie period, guided our pupils to rethink how artworks were used, placed, and interpreted beyond their original landscapes and contexts.
In the MEAA private exhibition Reimaginings, curated and created by sculptural artist Hannah Lim, her Fiery Bat is a particularly stunning and eccentric piece. The way it plays with the Chinese pronunciation of 福 (fu,fortune) & 蝠(fu, bat), combining the celebratory shape and red colour, transforms a relatively grim animal into something graceful and full of blessing. Our pupils were captivated.
We later visited the Bath Guildhall Market and enjoyed a lovely Chinese meal to savour the day’s journey.
It was such a precious experience for our pupils to see the rich East Asian collection of MEAA, so much of which made them feel a sense of home. It also shows how fellow Marlburians continue to impact generations, their work transcending the barriers of time to communicate with future schoolmates and the wider community.
Meridith Lau
Modern Languages Department
