In February 2025, I arrived at Saltram House in Plymouth, along with four other MA Curation class-mates, to begin a three-week internship. Saltram House is one of the National Trust’s most important ‘discovery houses’. It has an incredible collection of late 17th and 18th-century wallpapers, ceramics, and furniture from China, as well as a nationally important collection of paintings, books, and interiors. Chinese Gardens at Saltram is an exhibition organised by the property curator Zoe Shearman for the summer of 2025 as part of the National Trust’s Gardens 2025-26 season, focusing on Chinese influences within the collection. As a professional calligraphy artist, I have a keen interest in and knowledge of traditional Chinese art. My recent MA graduation exhibition, Journey to the West, and Chinese Gardens at Saltram have a similar theme of showcasing the beauty of traditional Chinese art. I was looking forward to working on the exhibition even before arriving at Saltram House.

Research: Artistic exchange between East and West in the 17th century

Surprisingly, a strong Chinese influence is apparent throughout this old Georgian country house, that has been inherited over three centuries. Through the combination of various Chinese wallpapers, furniture, and exported glass mirror paintings, the rooms present a ‘mirror-like’ Chinese scene. This is an impression of the Orient that was pieced together by the 18th-century British aristocracy according to their imagination. I couldn't wait to work get to work on the exhibition project. During the three weeks of my internship, under the guidance of Zoe, the property curator, my classmates and I collected and organised historical information about Saltram House, and gained an in-depth understanding of the historical background of the exchanges between Britain and China in the 18th century on a theme of the garden. In addition, during the internship, I was fortunate to be able to make use of my knowledge to design descriptive labels for the Chinese porcelains and paintings in the exhibition.

Examples of specific work

Among the thousands of beautiful pieces in Saltram House, I was most impressed by a candlestick combining Eastern and Western aesthetics. In the centre of the candlestick is a woman carrying a child on her back, in the shape of a traditional Chinese figure, while surrounded by European decorations and floral motifs. It is clear that these are two different styles of art, but the simplicity of the Chinese style and the complexity of the Western style blend together almost perfectly in this work of art, without being obtrusive.

Feedback Meeting and Reflections

A few months after our internships, we returned to Saltram House with the entire MA Curation cohort, to see the final exhibition of Chinese Gardens at Saltram, which continues until the end of October 2025. Saltram House is even more beautiful in summer than in winter. Seeing my interpretation of the work on the display board made me feel proud and accomplished. At the feedback meeting with Zoe, we discussed what we had learned and our experiences during the internship. What struck me most during my time at Saltram House was the local audience's perspective and how important interpretation of the artworks was to this, when they viewed the traditional Chinese artworks. These Western perspectives and viewpoints were a new and different experience for me. The MA internship gave me a valuable opportunity to participate in the exhibition's conception, identifying collection, writing cultural interpretation, and contributing to various aspects of the final exhibition, so that I have a more comprehensive understanding of the curator’s role.

Summary

Looking back on my internship experience at Saltram House, I realise that it has given me a deeper understanding of how knowledge of curation is applied in real-life work, including improving my professionalism, communication, independent thinking, and problem-solving skills. At the same time, I have gained a better understanding of the specific work of a curator in formal work, which will help me complete my work faster and better in the future. For me personally, this internship was not only a practical opportunity, but also an exploration of self-awareness and career development.