Open on Tue, 3 June 2025

Still Living: Kenneth Lam x Museum of the Home

A new photography series by Kenneth Lam offering a contemporary interpretation of the Rooms Through Time.

Date

Tuesday 28 January - Sunday 29 June

We are open Tuesday to Sunday (and Bank Holidays), 10am - 5pm.

A dimly lit still‐life setting evoking a 19th-century parlour: in the foreground, an ornate wooden chair upholstered in dark damask holds a folded white fabric over its back. Beside it, a small square table displays a crystal pedestal bowl, a spotted ceramic dog figurine, and a cluster of deep red grapes. In the back is another table draped in moss green fabric with a pink vase. To the right, a richly patterned hangs against the shadowed wall.
Exhibitions

About the display

Hong Kong & London-based photographer Kenneth Lam has created a series of seven exclusive photographs based on the newest historical and contemporary Rooms Through Time.

Known for his evocative and arresting still-life photography, this new series offers a contemporary interpretation of the period rooms by Lam – whose pieces typically explore heritage, identity, family and culture – through his own lens of home.

Each vignette of Lam’s is as distinct as the rooms themselves, weaving personal history, social commentary, and aesthetic detail into a unique visual narrative.

In collaboration with the curators and creative team at Museum of the Home, the artist gives viewers a taste of the personal narratives bringing these spaces to life. Each piece draws attention to the Museum’s collection of objects found throughout the period rooms in the gallery, recontextualised with care to reveal how domestic objects can shape and reflect the lives of their owners.

This image shows three distinct still life arrangements displayed side by side. On the left Modern items including a white pillow, red boots, england shirt, and other items tumble down. In the centre, toys, dolls, dominoes, and a newspaper reading "Black Power or bloodbath" arranged in a red display case. On the right, woven baskets, pottery, and wooden implements on cloth against a brown background.

Visitors can find out more about individual pieces in the series on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and cultural app.

“Kenneth Lam’s photography offers a compelling and contemporary interpretation of our period rooms […] Through his lens, the everyday becomes extraordinary, connecting us emotionally with the universal themes of home and belonging.”– Sonia Solicari, Director, Museum of the Home

Original prints of the seven photographs are on display at the Museum of the Home in Hoxton and are available to purchase, supporting the Museum as a registered charity. The photographs are also available to purchase as prints, postcards and magnets in the Museum of the Home Shop.

A hand holding up a smartphone displaying information and an image of a terraced house from 1978, with the actual display blurred in the background.

Free digital guide

Explore Museum of the Home with our digital guide on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.

Discover the guide