Kerr’s interest in the arts of Southeast Asia and Thailand in particular became so great that a few years ago, he established a second home in Bangkok, and presently resides half the year there and half the year in Japan. His base of operations is now in Bangkok, where he continues to collect Asian art. “I’d been buying calligraphies and hand scrolls, then hanging scrolls, then my first screen. Eventually, someone came and asked if I’d trade my screen, so I traded up. Then someone wanted to buy something else, so I sold. One day I woke up and realized I’m a dealer. It happened accidentally because I’m actually not a dealer, I’m a collector,” he says.

“I put my favorite things around me and asked myself if I’d be willing to let it all go, knowing that if I couldn’t, then I should immediately stop being a dealer,” he continues. “I decided I could let it go. You have to let it go because it doesn’t belong to you anyway; it’s passing through your hands. And so I made that promise not to cling to these objects, as much as I love them. And today, I’m still a dealer but, of course, the things just accumulate, because as a collector you can never stop.”

As both a dealer and a collector, Kerr has strong opinions on what should and should not be bought in Japan. For example, if you are interested in tea ceremony items, it is best to approach this field with caution. He explains, “The tea ceremony world is still very active: utensils, such as tea bowls, scoops and scrolls for the tearoom are highly valued. In fact, they are often overvalued and command ridiculous prices. But step outside the world of tea, and Japanese artworks sell for a song.” However, he advises collectors to purchase hand scrolls in Japan. “Hand scrolls roll sideways and can be 5 or even 10 meters long. Unlike hanging scrolls, they are difficult to use in the tearoom so they sell for a fraction of the cost of hanging scrolls, although they have equivalent, or even greater, artistic and historical importance,” he says. “Screens are likewise a terrific value, because so few people have the space to display them, and yet in their large scale and creative scope, they are among the great treasures of Japanese art.

“The art-collecting world stands at a major turning point,” Kerr continues. “A private collector from the next generation would need to be very wealthy to create a collection similar to mine, because the spring is running dry. Folding screens have declined in quantity and quality, and ink paintings have only a few more years before they vanish as well. My ability to keep collecting depends on just one thing: The lack of interest the Japanese display in Asian art. So, although it’s a self-centered wish, I pray they will stay asleep a little while longer.”