A stainless steel coffee table designed by Zhang Zhoujie.

But Zhang also cites another guide in his work - the Taoist concept of "wu wei", which means uncontrived action or natural non-intervention. Hence his work is true to the materials he uses, devoid of embellishment or disguise.

Works in the exhibition are for sale, most priced between 9,000 pounds ($14,500) and 80,000 pounds. Fawcett says a significant number of items she has sold and she expects 70 percent to sell by the end of the one-month event.

The inspiration for the show was a trip Fawcett made to Beijing two years ago. Upon visiting the 798 Art Zone, she was surprised to find a range of innovative items that altered her perception of Chinese design.

"I think China's fine art market experienced an explosion in the past decades, and consequently Chinese design was left to the side, but it is now emerging," Fawcett says.

With a view to unveiling Chinese design to a Western audience, Fawcett went with a consultant to Beijing, Shanghai and Jingdezhen to select pieces for her exhibition.

"We went from one designer to another designer. We eliminated firstly all the designs similar to a European style, and then it was just a matter of following our taste."