Artist Residency at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
Elsa and the team working on the residency’s limited art collection.
From October 26 to November 26, 2026, our studio steps into the heart of one of Hong Kong’s most iconic landmarks. As part of Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong’s ongoing transformation, Elsa Jeandedieu and our team resides at the hotel, bridging monumental architectural art with intimate studio practice in front of a live audience.
A Dialogue with 1963 Heritage
When The Mandarin Hotel first opened its doors (1963), artist Gerard d’Alton Henderson was commissioned to create a major lobby fresco and bronze works, including the beloved Three Goddesses. Over six decades later, our residency entered into a direct visual dialogue with that foundational history.
Rather than imitating the past, we set out to create a piece rooted in tradition yet firmly alive in the present. As Elsa shared during the project:
""What interests me is the way Hong Kong holds energy and continuity together. There is constant movement, but also a strong attachment to traditions, symbols, and craftsmanship."
Eurasian artist Gerard d’Alton Henderson’s Three Goddesses from Mandarin Oriental’s original opening in 1963.
Live in the Blake Foyer: The Ceiling & Concierge Commissions
During the first three weeks of the residency, visitors walking into the hotel’s Blake Foyer can watch the team at work directly above the Three Goddesses bronze, or at the mezzanine atelier.
The Concierge Wall: Complementing the ceiling, the commission behind the concierge desk drew inspiration from the maritime Silk Road. Flowing folds and intricate reliefs soften solid plaster into weightless movement.
Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong’s Concierge Wall art piece. Final details being painted by Elsa Jeandedieu.
The Ceiling Installation: Anchored by a dynamic dragon, symbolizing strength, vitality, and good fortune, the composition is accompanied by auspicious clouds and five bats representing the five blessings.
Blake Foyer’s ceiling being painted live.
Blake Foyer’s ceiling being painted live by Elsa Jeandedieu Studio team.
Detail of ceiling artwork.
Up on the Mezzanine: The Temporary Atelier
While monumental work unfolded in the foyer, we also transformed a space on the Mezzanine floor into an intimate, temporary Atelier.
Guests and collectors could experience first-hand the behind the scenes of our studio process and preview a strictly limited collection of eight original paintings. Individually serialized, signed, and certified by both our studio and Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, these works are woven directly into the hotel's historic narrative, offering collectors a rare opportunity to bring a piece of this living legacy into their private collections.
Elsa working at the atelier.
Detail of one of the 8 original paintings limited collection.
Artwork and project references at the atelier.
Gold leaf application on the ceiling’s artwork.
Written by: Soledad Sambiasi Zanghellini
Date: November, 12, 2026