dialogue
Cherry Cheng | Patron, Collector and Entrepreneur
July 2025
8 min read
Cherry Cheng's intriguing journey through the realms of art and sensory exploration. After studying Photography during her undergraduate years, Cherry pivoted towards a Master's in business at Sotheby's Institute, blending her passion for art with a pragmatic pursuit of career stability. Her experience in art advisory provided invaluable insights into the industry's dynamics and the nuances of artistic expression. Despite her initial path diverging from traditional artistic practice, Cherry's admiration for artists' courage in manifesting their visions remained steadfast. This admiration, coupled with a profound interest in sensory perception, eventually led her to discover perfumery as a medium of expression.
Cherry venture into perfumery with Jouissance represents a convergence of her diverse influences and aspirations. Initially humorously attributing her entrepreneurial leap to not securing a coveted position at a blue-chip gallery, Cherry's journey underscores a deeper truth: a strong desire to create and shape her own creative path. Perfumery, she realised, offered a unique resonance with her background in photography, capturing not just moments but entire temporal experiences. For Cherry, scent becomes a narrative that unfolds over time, invoking memories and emotions that resonate far beyond the initial olfactory encounter. Her journey into perfumery, catalyzed by unforeseen circumstances like the pandemic, reveals a natural alignment with her artistic sensibilities and a profound exploration of sensory storytelling.
Photo of Cherry Cheng. Photography courtesy of Kiran Gidda.
You studied at Sotheby's and Goldsmiths and worked in art advisory before launching Jouissance. How has your background in the art world shaped your creative direction as a perfumer?
“I’ve often joked that I started my own business because I couldn’t land a job at a blue-chip gallery. But jokes aside, the truth is I didn’t want to work within someone else’s vision. I’ve always had a strong drive to create - I initially studied Photography during my undergraduate years but shifted to a Master’s in business at Sotheby’s Institute, worried that pursuing art alone wouldn’t lead to a stable career. This is precisely why I admire artists deeply for their courage in putting themselves out there, embracing vulnerability in the name of their vision.
The reason I chose to work with scent as my medium of expression for JOUISSANCE only became clear to me later. I realized scent shares a unique affinity with photography as a time-based art form - yet where photography captures and fixates a single moment, scent unfolds across time, evoking memories and emotions that stretch backward and forward. A photograph confines you to a fixed instant, but a fragrance expands your experience through time; it’s the sensation of time itself. This capacity to transcend a moment and evoke a temporal journey is what truly draws me to perfumery.
Though I often say my entry into perfumery was accidental, largely due to the pandemic, in hindsight, it feels less accidental and more like a subconscious pull toward this particular form of expression. The realization just took time to fully surface.”
Photography courtesy of Cherry Cheng. Artwork: Joseph Jones, Pootie… [need dimensions, year]
You've been active as a collector for some time. What do you look for in an artwork, and how has your perspective on collecting evolved?
“I think it’s important to not try to define your collection too early - or to force it into a fixed identity. When I’m asked what I collect, I rarely have a straightforward answer. It’s not me being evasive, but because I genuinely don’t think about collecting in categorical terms. I collect what resonates - emotionally, intellectually, or sometimes just instinctively. Over time, my approach has become more intuitive and less concerned with trends or cohesion. I used to think collecting had to follow a particular logic or reflect a curatorial thesis. Now, I think of it more as a kind of diary - personal, fragmented, evolving. The works I live with remind me of conversations, encounters, and moments that I’ve shared with the people who inspire me.
One piece in my collection that means the most to me is a commissioned portrait of my cat, Pootie, by Joseph Jones, which my friend Daniel Malarkey helped me to acquire. On one level, it’s sentimental, but it also speaks to something larger. First of all, it’s an immense privilege to be able to commission a work by an artist. There’s something meaningful about that exchange: the trust, the interpretation, the permanence.
Moreover, I know this is an artwork I’ll look back on for many years, probably long after Pootie is gone. It may sound slightly morbid and also quite corny to say a painting makes me think of mortality. I’ve always felt uneasy about relying on digital archives; we don’t know which platforms will vanish, or which devices will become obsolete. A physical artwork, on the other hand, feels like the only sure and enduring way to preserve something - to protect it, care for it, and be continually reminded of its presence.
So while my collection may not follow a conventional path, it’s filled with things that carry emotional weight, and that feel, in different ways, like anchors in time.”
JOUISSANCE publication launch and dinner at Crispin, Studio Voltaire, November 2024.
Are there particular galleries or curators you find yourself drawn to, spaces that consistently challenge, surprise, or expand your thinking around contemporary art?
“I’ve been following Brunette Coleman’s programming religiously since I met Ted and Anna in May 2024, when they were showing Miriam Stoney. Every show they curate is marked by a strong conceptual and architectural sensibility. Their recent group show, Image as Trace, takes its name from Susan Sontag’s seminal book, On Photography. The show brought together five artists who engage with photography through experiential processes that challenge its traditional conventions and reflexively point to the medium itself. Among them were artists whose work I already know and admire - Nat Faulkner and Marietta Mavrokordatou - shown alongside exciting new discoveries: Joyce Joumma, Kazuna Taguchi, and Paride Maria Calvia.
Hot Wheels also has an incredibly rigorous programme. Their Jeff Wall Collection exhibition was choreographed over the span of a month, revealing one action per gallery day - a fascinating archival unfolding of curator Pierre Bal-Blanc’s collaborations under the aegis of Jeff Wall Production, dating back to 1988. But beyond its own programming, Hot Wheels operates as more than a gallery: it feels like a cultural instigator, actively nurturing a sense of collective energy.
Joyce Joumaa, 'Archive "Centre"', 2024, at Brunette Coleman.
I was recently in Athens, where Hot Wheels hosted a group exhibition at TOSITSA 3, bringing together artists from five galleries - Hot Wheels, Brunette Coleman, Emalin, Sadie Coles, and a.SQUIRE. I was especially taken by a.SQUIRE’s presentation of Cedric Murphy, which was deeply conceptual and risk-taking. The opening evening ended with a magical dinner at the TATOÏ Club, which houses a phenomenal collection with works from each of these galleries, curated by the wonderful Amalia Mytilineou. It was incredibly affirming to witness the camaraderie and generosity between these galleries. In a market often defined by competition, poaching, and profiteering, it’s heartening to see a new generation of gallerists prioritising mutual support and shared vision.
While my collection primarily focuses on living artists, I have deep admiration for gallerists who are courageously reappraising overlooked figures of the 20th century. CASSIUS&Co.’s presentations of André Derain and Louis Eilshemius, Mattias Vendelmans’s work on Pelle Swedlund (on whom Mattias has written and published the catalogue raisonné) and Laure Albin Guillot, Robbie Fitzpatrick’s exhibitions of Irène Zurkinden and Beatrice Wood, and Emalin’s pairing of Odilon Redon with Kate Spencer Stewart. These are not easy or fashionable choices in today’s market, and I find their commitment intellectually and curatorially brave.”
GMT at TOSITSA 3 - Alvaro Barrington, Helen Marten, Ceidra Moon Murphy, Zazou Roddam, Marina Xenofontos presented by Emalin, Sadie Coles HQ, a. SQUIRE, Brunette Coleman, Hot Wheels Athens London.
Beyond collecting, you've supported artists in various ways. What does patronage mean to you today, and how do you think it can evolve to better serve artists and their practices?
“Patronage means far more than financial support - it's about building meaningful, long-term relationships and nurturing environments in which artists can genuinely thrive, both creatively and professionally. True patronage is attentive and responsive; it involves understanding each artist’s unique vision and providing not just resources, but also mentorship, visibility, and platforms for authentic growth.
That’s why I deeply value the work of institutions like Studio Voltaire. It has long served as an incubator for emerging artists, many of whom have gone on to receive international acclaim. Beyond its beautiful exhibition spaces, Studio Voltaire provides generously proportioned, light-filled studios, artist residencies, and, through House of Voltaire, a unique commercial platform offering affordable artist editions - not only for established collectors but for a broader audience. What I find particularly inspiring is how it helps artists connect with new audiences, like the recent Tom of Finland/Beryl Cook exhibition, which brought together an unexpectedly diverse crowd. With the addition of Dom Hamdy’s Crispin in-residence, it has also become a vital community hub for the locals.
Another institution I greatly admire is the ICA. It has a rich legacy of supporting experimental and interdisciplinary practices. Beyond its exhibitions, ICA also champions independent cinema, publishing, and music. Under Bengi’s leadership, its programming has become even more dynamic, hosting everything from book launches to music performances almost daily. It's a space that thrives on experimentation and fluidity across creative fields.
Ultimately, I see patronage evolving toward a more holistic, collaborative model - one that sees artists not as isolated creators but as central voices within a broader cultural ecosystem.“
Who are some newer voices in the art world you're excited about, artists you think deserve more visibility or recognition?
“There are always countless new artists and galleries that excite me.
One recent discovery is Joyce Joumaa, whose breaker box series I came across through Brunette Coleman. Joyce was just announced as a co-winner of Art Basel’s Baloise Art Prize, alongside Rhea Dillon - both incredibly deserving artists.
I’m also very drawn to the work of Kyriakos Kyriakides, who works as a studio assistant to Christodoulos Panayiotou (another artist I deeply admire). I discovered his work through Hot Wheels, and was especially moved by the lace-covered toys presented at VIMA - there’s a haunting, heartbreaking quality that permeates in his works.
And then there’s Galerina, an incredibly exciting gallery that’s been on my radar for a while. I’m so impressed by what they’re building. Mischa and Niina, who run it out of their Islington apartment, both maintain demanding full-time jobs - at Barclays and Arcadia Missa respectively - yet still manage to put on consistently compelling exhibitions. This year, they were invited to LISTE, where they presented a phenomenal large-scale work by Sarah Stanton.”
Hot Wheels London, The Jeff Wall Collection (On Sale), 1 - 29 March 2025.
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