Special Delivery for Joel Chen (JF Chen Antiques)

Woon presents Special Delivery featuring Joel Chen (JF Chen Antiques).
The first episode in our new series titled, Special Delivery, documenting the interesting subjects from our Woon community who contribute to make Woon what it is today.
In this episode, we deliver Woon to “JuJu”, my uncle and Mama Fong’s brother, Joel Chen - the founder and owner of JF Chen Antiques, a 40 year old iconic antique store located on Highland Ave, During our visit, we have a casual conversation over food and a very rare walkthrough of his home and personal collection. We touch on what makes his collection so special and what goes into the process of choosing his antique pieces. We also get a chance to visit his 20,000 sqft showroom on Highland Ave, where Woon was born as a pop up over 7 years ago.
I grew up spending every Thanksgiving at Joel’s house and not really understanding what it all meant. Now that I’m older and appreciate the empire that he built, it feels extra special to be able to share his home with our Woon community. Not only that, but it’s an honor for him to lend Woon some pieces from his collection. Hopefully this will provide a new perspective when you see the small horse statues on the shelf high up in the dining room, the ancestral scroll paintings hanging on the wall, the 1940 oil painting of Kowloon Bay in the corner, the original Mao Zedong propaganda posters in the bathrooms (no, we are not communist), and the family photo in the corner featuring Joel, Mama Fong and their parents on their first American Thanksgiving.
Special thanks to my uncle Joel Chen, my aunt Margaret Chen, and my cousin Bianca Chen
Film, edit and photos by Jacob Cummings

[@nmj2411]

Congratulations Mr. Chen on your bravery as a young person to start your own business! It has surely paid off! We never know, but we need to be brave to make the leap forward toward our dreams!

[@primrosedahlia9466]

Omg I want ALL OF IT!!!!!! I love his taste!!!

[@gillianmalcolm4573]

Read some comments some people are so ignorant why they bother to pass rude comments is beyond me,theyre emty vessels.Dont let them dampen your spirit.Your achie ments arr remarkable.

[@thomashumphrey7395]

This nice man seems like he has the perfect temperament for a long and substantive life.

[@bettysha3154]

My dogs are Lucy and Charlie. Love your shop.

[@gillianmalcolm4573]

What a sicnificant beautiful place im in love with it.Chinese art is so very detailed and pleasing to the eye and pallete.I Pursed a chinese dragon brass vase there are many replic"s but not with the embossed markings at bottom this one is original 1806 it comes from that error from one of monastrys Jianism possibly.I also have a silk hand tappetry its so very old and a beutiful chinese painting i inherrited signed by original artist.Unfortinatelty SA is very difficult to find appraisers,with economic climate i will have to part with my treasures.Have smaller items tea cup,plates,tea pots etc etc.Old chemist poster from when the main Chinese Bank opeoned.I would be grateful if there was someone who could help with the above. We have lot of loadshedding so our networks up and down.Thankyou for sharing your beautiful blog.Thanking You Kind Regards Gllian Malcolm.

[@donnapeay2780]

fantastic piece. enjoyed Mr. Chen, his story, and his collections very much. thank you!

[@gklpang]

Your shop is the BEST............Aloha from Hawaii

[@laylaglantz8876]

what a nice man

[@CalGcastglassnz]

i could listen to mr. miyagi talk antique all day long!

[@russellhawkins940]

I love that lobster

[@gillianmalcolm4573]

Must apollogise made a short on my dragon vase and your voice came up in it instead of music sorry.

[@Ploog100]

As the French say his collection is a pele-mele and a good mix for the American taste in Hollywood.

[@CalGcastglassnz]

who cares what them frogs say!

[@elizabethhurtado2829]

❤

[@JimOverbeckgenius]

Anyone who eats cats & dogs should be turned into a eunuch.

[@hazelbasil6451]

Your disgusting stop being racist!

[@grahamlee688]

Send u a Chinese old slang：there is no Ivory in dog’s mouth. means rubbish man don't say goodthings.