Dr. Brian Ip Pak-in, a practicing psychiatrist based in Hong Kong, has established an intimate art space called Kabinett in Wong Chuk Hang that serves as a platform for displaying psychologically complex works often considered unsuitable for a clinical environment. The gallery, inspired by Scandinavian design with its pine panels and expansive windows overlooking verdant hills, offers a tranquil retreat distinct from Ip’s professional practice at Melbourne Plaza, Central.
Ip named Kabinett after the small, focused exhibition sections seen at international art fairs like Art Basel. The space, which opened three years ago, provides Ip with the freedom to showcase pieces that he cannot exhibit in his clinic due to their potentially triggering or intense nature. While Ip’s clinical walls feature mostly abstract works, Kabinett features a diverse selection emphasizing female and LGBTQ artists, whose works make up a significant portion of his 200-piece collection.
The space carries a deeply personal significance for Ip, shaped by the passing of his mother in 2019. This loss profoundly influenced his artistic focus and philosophical outlook, particularly his interest in themes of transience and resilience. Among the artworks he treasures is a painting by Swiss artist Miriam Cahn titled zeigel, 2. + 29.12.13 + 19.04.18, which depicts a nude woman holding a baby, with a symbolic, bloody hand gesture. Ip sees this piece as embodying motherly love and protection amid adversity; it held special meaning for his late mother and now provides him with comfort and a continuing connection to her memory.
Ip draws inspiration from a broad spectrum of international artists, including Brazilian mixed-media artist Sonia Gomes, whose sculpture Memory is housed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and reflects on grief through fabric donations from friends who lost their mothers. Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama and Swiss painter Caroline Bachmann are also among Ip’s favored creators. His collection features works by Ren Hang, the Chinese poet-photographer who was openly gay and died by suicide in 2017, highlighting Ip’s appreciation for artists exploring identity, vulnerability, and fearlessness.
Kabinett’s current exhibition, “Una Corda,” which runs through April, investigates the relationship between landscapes and psychological states. The show invites visitors to engage multisensorially—sitting on a pine bench while experiencing the vibrations of Debussy’s Estampes—as they view surrealist paintings of Lake Geneva by Bachmann, Hong Kong artist Dony Cheng Hung’s monochrome forest scenes, and pieces by Kong Lingnan, Patricia Leite, and Joani Tremblay. Wooden sculpture Stare (2022) by Liao Wen, an armless female figure positioned at eye level, introduces a striking yet compatible element of quiet power within the exhibit’s contemplative mood.
Kabinett does not operate on regular public hours and is accessible primarily by invitation, reinforcing its role as a private, reflective salon deeply informed by Ip’s dual passions for psychiatry and art. The space exemplifies an intersection of aesthetic expression and emotional exploration, offering insight into the complexities of human experience beyond the clinical setting.