Artist Peter Ting on Eva Hesse, acupuncture and Rex Harrison’s knits

My personal style signifiers are my glasses by Subcrew, which I have worn forever, and my African snake-vertebrae bracelets. I first spotted them on the wrist of Trent Read, owner of the South African gallery Knysna Fine Art, and he got two for me. shop.wearethesubcrew.com

The last thing I bought and loved was a painting, Untitled Sap Green/Red, by the American artist Michelle Grabner. I have a small collection of her work and I love the way she approaches her craft. This piece is painted on sacking and the green and red checks call to mind a cake iced with a gingham design. rocketgallery.com

And the thing I’m eyeing next is a piece by Alison Britton. The abstract jug-form ceramics she made in the 1970s were hugely influential – her newer work demands a deep emotional response from me. Marsden Woo Gallery, 229 Ebury Street, SW1 (020-7336 6396; marsdenwoo.com)

The last item of clothing I added to my wardrobe was a single-breasted, three-button jacket in bright navy blue from Boglioli in Milan. I always buy my clothes in Italy because they believe that everyone, whatever their size, should look beautiful. From £650; Via San Pietro All’orto 17, 20121 Milan (+3902-7639 4051; boglioli.it)

A recent “find” is Best Made in New York. I went in because I liked the red cross logo and discovered it was a camping shop. To my surprise, I spent ages lusting after the pocket knives. $98; 36 White Street, New York, NY 10013 (+1646-478 7092; bestmadeco.com)

The best gift I’ve given recently is a silver and labradorite ring by Ambroise Degenève, to my partner, Brian. We saw it at Galerie Tactile in Geneva’s Old Town and he fell in love with the four huge, cut stones. $850; 8 Place du Grand-Mézel, 1204 Geneva (+4122-310 2156; tactile.ch)

And the best one I’ve received recently is a new strap for my Patek Philippe Calatrava watch. It was a gift from my father, but it had a very formal black strap, so it spent years languishing in a drawer. This new tobacco-brown strap, which was an early birthday present, has suddenly liberated it as a casual, everyday classic. patek.com

The grooming staple I’m never without is Rain Cloud by Lyn Harris from Perfumer H. It’s quite a heavy, flowery scent with ylang ylang and vanilla and I love the name. From £180 for 100ml; 106A Crawford Street, London W1 (020-7258 7859; perfumerh.com)

An indulgence I would never forgo is Master Luo’s Long Jing tea from Timothy D’Offay’s Postcard Teas, which is fired in a large wok. I like to mix it with Barry’s Tea from Ireland; I don’t have a recipe, I just vary the amounts according to how smoky I’m feeling. From £13; Postcard Teas, 9 Dering Street, London W1 (020-7629 3654; postcardteas.com). From €3.59; Barry’s Tea, barrysteashop.ie

If I had to limit my shopping to one neighbourhood in one city, I’d choose Hong Kong, where I was born. It’s a small city so I treat it as a neighbourhood, but it’s so exciting and mixed. You move from high-end to low in no time at all. There’s the Sin Tat Plaza with its crazy phone shops and then über-sophisticated places such as Brandon Chau’s Attire House, which is like a mini Savile Row, with a barber and a cocktail bar; and Michelle Ong’s exquisite Carnet jewellery boutique. I also like the Louis Vuitton book section, where I have picked up many special gifts for my godchildren. Attire House, 29th Floor, 8 Wyndham Street (+852‑2619 9007; attire-house.com). Carnet, 119 Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Road (+852-2805 0113; carnetjewellery.com). Louis Vuitton, G005-006, 5 Canton Road (+852-8100 1182; louisvuitton.com). Sin Tat Plaza, Sincere House, 83 Argyle Street (+852-2125 2538)

My favourite websites and apps are Sasha Young’s website WrightandSmith.com, which showcases crafted homewares; and the Citymapper app, because I have no sense of direction or patience to wait for buses.

My style icon is Rex Harrison. He has this knitwear and tweed jacket thing going, which intrigues me.

An unforgettable place I’ve travelled to in the past year is Switzerland. I toured Lake Geneva for the first time this summer and fell in love with Montreux. We stayed just by the lake; the water was freezing but the views were breathtaking. 

And the best souvenir I’ve brought home is a Blanc de Chine Buddha from Dehua by Chen Deqing, who was a sculptor of Guanyin (Bodhisattva) and Mao Statues at the No 1 State Porcelain Factory in Dehua, Fujian province. It turned out to be the last Guanyin statue he sculpted.

An object I would never part with is my mother’s jadeite ring. It’s a beautiful green stone and I wear it every so often to admire the colour and ponder why she never wore it herself.

The last meal that truly impressed me was cooked by Nadine Vischer Klein, co-founder of the Tresor Craft Fair, and her husband Hans-Heiner. We started with her vitello tonnato and finished with his raspberry ice cream. It was divine.

If I didn’t live in London, the city I would live in is Trieste, a place I’ve fallen slowly in love with. It’s not as intense as Milan or Rome, the history is interesting, the people are friendly and the food is simple and seasonal. I love Toso, for beautiful natural sponges and brushes; Essenze, for its interesting scents; and Caffè San Marco, a Fellini-esque café with yellow walls. Another favourite is Gelateria Zampolli, where you find clusters of people eating gelato late into the night, and the beautiful design store, Vud, owned by a couple who make wooden chopping boards and objects in the shop: I have yet to leave empty-handed. Caffè San Marco, Via Cesare Battisti 18 (+3904-0064 1724). Essenze, Piazza Sant’Antonio Nuovo 4 (+3933-8731 0211). Gelateria Zampolli, Via Ghega 10 (+3904-036 4868; gelateriazampolli.com). Toso, Piazza San Giovanni 6 (+3904-063 6288). Vud, Via Diaz 15/a (+3904-0461 2452; vud-design.com)

In my fridge you’ll always find salted Brittany butter, avocado, prosecco and chilli sauce which I buy in bulk from Marcel & Sons in southeast London. This uncle and nephew team make the most beautiful Mauritian comfort food, and their chilli sauce is so popular that they decided to sell it separately. £2.50; The Artworks, Unit 18, Elephant Road, London SE17.

The person I rely on for wellbeing is my acupuncturist Giles Davies. His treatment combines the Five Element and traditional Chinese medicine approaches. I go five times a year for my seasonal adjustments. It works. From £45; The Barry Road Clinic, 15 Barry Road, London SE22 (07739-414 210)

The one artist whose work I would collect if I could is Eva Hesse, who had a fascinating but, sadly, brief life. I first came across her work at an extraordinary exhibition at the Camden Arts Centre in 2009. I love how she experimented with alternative materials and the way the work is intimate and bold at the same time. hauserwirth.com

The best book I’ve read in the past year is Love in a Dark Time by Colm Tóibín. It gave me a fascinating insight into the lives of gay artists in the 19th and 20th centuries and made me appreciate that it was their steely determination and sacrifice that created a more accepting society.

My favourite room in my house is the “hippie den”. The apartment is open-plan, so it’s a zone rather than a room, with mattresses and an eclectic collection of cushions from around the world set against a gilded wall painted for us by my friend, the scenic artist Andrew Greenfield.

The last music I downloaded was nothing. I don’t play music and the house is silent. We just talk.

If I weren’t doing what I do, I would be a baker. I love to make things by hand and baking combines accuracy with the opportunity to be creative. My staple is Waterford Irish soda bread, which, when I’m organised, I can get into the oven in eight minutes.