Andrew Thompson

Andrew Thompson has over 30 years experience in conservation. He has published and lectured internationally and is an accredited member of ICON - the Institute of Conservation.

Andrew began his career in the conservation of Oriental paintings in 1981 at the British Museum, after initially studying the conservation of Western art on paper. At the museum he was responsible for the Hirayama Studio, which undertook the conservation of the extensive collections of Eastern art on paper and silk. He was regularly involved with helping and advising other museums on the care and maintenance of their collections and in order to expand on this type of outreach he moved to Leiden and founded restorient.

He has visited Japan many times studying not only painting conservation but also visiting paper makers, brush makers, silk weavers and the many other craftsmen who supply materials for Oriental restoration. Andrew is firmly committed to the care of Oriental paintings which are held in collections outside Asia and feels that the restorient studio has an important educational role as well as that of supplying practical conservation solutions.

Sydney Thomson 

The senior conservator at restorient is Sydney Thomson who has more than 20 years experience in paper conservation, specialising in the conservation and restoration of Japanese Hanging scrolls (kakemono) and Japapnese folding screens (byobu).

After being awarded an Honours degree in Fine Art, Sydney went on to study for an M.A. in Paper Conservation, graduating in 1988. In the same year she joined the British Museum and began her training in the conservation of Japanese hanging scrolls and folding screens.

In addition to her specialist training in London she also studied in Japan with one of the most renowned scroll-mounting studios in Kyoto - The Usami Shokakudo, where her work focused on the techniques involved in the construction and repair of traditional Japanese folding screens.

Sydney is an accredited member of ICON - the Institute of Conservation, and after many years working at the British Museum she is a well known expert in her field.