Sense check Q&A: gallerist Maureen Paley

In Sense Check, our monthly Q&A, we unearth the sensorial pleasures of a contemporary tastemaker.

Describe the view from where you are right now.
I'm looking out over the stormy English Channel from my seafront place in Hove.

Is there a view you can't quite forget?
The full Moon reflected in the same Channel on a clear night.

What was the first work that made you fall in love with art?
Seeing the "Mona Lisa" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1963, when I was a very young child, was mesmerising.

Is there a particular artwork you always return to?
"The Little Deer", also known as "The Wounded Deer", painted by the remarkable Frida Kahlo in 1946. Her perseverance in the face of extreme physical illness is an inspiration.

Is there a particular artwork you're obsessed with at the moment?
Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp's "Dust Breeding" photograph, made in collaboration in 1920, and "The Palace at 4 a.m." – a 1932 sculpture by Alberto Giacometti in the MoMA New York collection.

What sound do you wake up to?
My compact black Braun alarm clock.

What gets you dancing?
"Supernatural Thing" by Ben E. King, and LCD Soundsystem – in particular "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House".

Which singer or song do you never tire of hearing, and why?
I always play Chet Baker singing "But Not For Me", from his excellent "Chet Baker Sings" album, on repeat because of his vulnerability and charm. I have always loved him.

Which song always makes you cry? And which one always makes you smile?
Tony Bennett singing "The Way You Look Tonight" makes me cry, as my late Dad always played it for my late Mum. And then "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young makes me smile.

Which smell takes you back to childhood?
The smell of the sea.

Which smell makes you feel at home?
The scent of lavender, rosemary and honeysuckle in my garden.

What is your earliest scent memory?
I remember being given Shalimar perfume as a teenager, and loving the elegant bottle and its bergamot, vanilla and iris notes.

Describe a dish that has stayed with you.
Teriyaki salmon is my all-time favourite.

What is the taste of summer/autumn/winter?
Summer is cold cucumber soup, autumn is hake with green vegetables, and winter is slow-cooked lamb with baked sweet potatoes.

Olive or a twist?
Olive, especially in my new 'go to' drink, Botivo with soda and a slice of orange.

What is your favourite restaurant in London?
There are too many to choose from in London, so I must mention three: Brat, Elliot's, and Rochelle Canteen – but I could list so many more! London chefs are exceptional. I also always love Japanese food, and I find myself eating it and seeking it out all over the world.

Silk or cashmere?
Silk.

Marble or wood?
Both – aged marble and ancient wood.

Do you have a favourite piece of furniture in your home?
My vintage African beaded Yoruba armchairs and a yew-tree bench.

Is there an object that you cherish the most?
A hag stone that was found on Hove beach and given to me by a friend – they are meant to have magical properties.