Inspire me
Create Prosperity in the Year of the Rabbit
Discover how to tap into the peace, prosperity and longevity of the Water Rabbit in your home for Chinese New Year 2023.
Erin Peacock
Wednesday 25 January, 2023
As the world celebrates Chinese New Year and welcomes in the Year of the Rabbit – water rabbit, to be exact – we take a look at how your contemporary art collection can benefit from the ancient tradition of Feng Shui.
To some, Feng Shui might simply be an interior decorating tool, but to others, it is a profound spiritual tool. Either way, you’ll love this next part. 2023 is predicted to be a year of hope. Being the fourth sign of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, bounding into the Year of the Rabbit with suitable enthusiasm will bring longevity, peace and prosperity.
But, how can we give ourselves a boost in the direction of these very promising fortunes? Within Feng Shui, certain factors are considered lucky and lend themselves to different colours and materials that encourage a healthy flow of energy in your home. By combining curation with direction, colour or arrangement, the placement of both furniture and art holds the power to strengthen or weaken the five elements of Feng Shui – wood, fire, earth, metal and water.
So, here’s five suggestions for how you can make decisions that will create prosperity in the Year of the Rabbit.
Colour choice
This year favours wood and water elements. If you happen to live on a wooden boat, this is great news, and you can probably stop reading. However, there are plenty of ways for land lovers to introduce these elements in their homes, too.
First, consider moving artworks that contain strong azure tones to the fore of your inside spaces. This is a powerful yet calming tone that, when centralised, evokes freedom and peace. Not only does it pack a prosperous punch, but is an easy way to incorporate this lucky colour with the OG water element.
With this in mind, make sure to look out for Richard Heeps’ photography at your next fair. This heavily saturated, Cali-daze blue is a consistent hue that he works with.
If you tend to opt for a subdued aura, this style of print from @peleton.dk offers a more minimalistic sense of flow. The wavy lines don’t just tap into a key 2023 trend, but also really evoke that key Water Rabbit sense of peace.
For collectors who love the statement-factor, red should be your new go-to colour at your next art fair. Symbolising power and courage, it’s a deep-end-dive into the Water Rabbit lucky colours, but if you’re serious about making 2023 your year, then it’s a leap of faith that’s totally worth it.
We absolutely love to see this colour used in contemporary art. Tomas Lacke of Galleri Melefors has created this stunning, volcanic abstract painting that is rich and full of depth. It’s a fresh, fiery piece to add impact to an interior. But, reds can also add a sense of calm that might appeal to a traditionalist. René Smoorenburg’s still life is created with clear influence from classic chiaroscuro and Baroque styles. Their stillness offers both a pop and a pause.
Feng Shui aficionados should also look towards pink as their key tone for prosperity. As another lucky colour for 2023 (and timeless trend), you shouldn’t find it too difficult to discover artists who love to incorporate pink into their work.
Mekia Machine (@mekiamachine) is queen of utilising the many hues of the pink spectrum. The sleeve detail here is beautifully done and contrasts her usual colour-blocking style to give the whole piece movement.
Last Spring, we saw her work at Affordable Art Fair Battersea with Smithson Gallery. This figurative painting was a standout and the hot fuchsia makes the perfect focal point against the gentler pastel colours.
Command space
2023 is all about commanding your space. When it comes to Feng Shui, furniture is the focus. Moving, for example, your bed and sofa into central or staged positions, means that you are also making yourself central. If you’re tight for space, even moving your bed several inches from the wall makes it a standalone piece of furniture, rather than blocking energy from reaching all four corners.
Your choice of where to hang art can also be factored into this effort. Installing sculpture into the centre of your surfaces (dining tables, coffee tables, kitchen islands etc.) is a great place to start. Or, make sure to add a triptych of artworks onto your wishlist this year for hallway centralisation.
The easiest way to command space with your art is by hanging a piece directly above your bed.
This bedroom interior from @glassette is the perfect place to start for inspo. Check out that symmetry.
Mood lighting
Invest in diversified lighting that reaches every dark corner, with a good balance of Yin and Yang — neither too bright nor too dark or overly warm or cold. Coloured candles and curtains gives you a variety of options, as ample sunlight can be let in during the day, softened in the afternoon, and made ambient in the evening.
No Qi blockage
Imagine a river going through your home or office. Position furniture to allow for a smooth flow to all areas, keeping the Qi moving freely through and letting it flow into the right directions of your life.
Water imagery
Water or water-adjacent imagery is a big Y-E-S for bright-eyed, bushy-tailed interior innovators this year. The five elements will never cease to be a point of huge inspiration for creatives, so the well of water-focused artworks won’t be drying up any time soon.
Nadia Attura is a must-know name for her tendency to capture underwater, tropical and oasis scenes. Make sure to take a look at her ‘Backwaters’ collection set to make an appearance at our fairs with Will’s Art Warehouse.
Or, think outside the box with water vessels. This watering can painting from @weareoutofoffice evokes a sense of flow, perfect for sending the Qi on an easy journey through your home.
That’s a wrap on our look into the vast possibilities of a Feng Shui home in 2023. With a few small changes (or big if you’re brave!), your interior can become a hot spot for peace and prosperity to grow.
Good luck, and happy art hunting at your next Affordable Art Fair.