Whisky tasting halloween party at Shapero Rare Books, London, October 2025 The whisky tasting at Shapero Rare Books was more than just an event; it felt like the coming together of many strands of my creative life. What most people didn’t see behind the scenes was the unlikely, joyful spark that set the whole thing in motion. Some months ago, the furniture dealer and collector Marcus Flacks approached me with an idea. Marcus is one of those rare people whose energy fills a ro

The influence of Hokusai on subsequent artists is truly huge; ranging from Degas, Van Gogh, Klimt, Picasso (he loved the octopus and...