Not many mortals would have the courage the say, ‘I thought I was god’s gift to China’. But Pearl Lam the art world wonder had the mettle to say so. It, however, takes a brave person to recognise the fault of such an assumption and that is again Pearl Lam, the Hong Kong-based gallerist. The arrogance of Lam has been useful in learning what made her so different from her family and the contemporary Chinese people.
A Female Icon and Entrepreneur
Even before art became a ‘thing’ in China or Hong Kong, Pearl Lam, the art world wonder found her curiosity growing towards it and it resulted in her putting pop-up art shows. However, that would not have been enough for her, instead what aptly suited someone who thought she was a gift was collecting the knowledge of the West, imbibing it, and transferring it to the country where she was born. The result was the opening of the Pearl Lam Galleries in Shanghai.
But how can that be enough for a lady who is hungry for more? As a gallerist, Pearl Lam started changing the landscape of the Chinese art world. She invested in and nurtured artists working on contemporary Chinese art and curated them. Pearl Lam, eventually was able to disrupt the Chinese art landscape that was a caricature of that time, or any modern art being perceived as a copy or inspiration of the West.
Art World Wonder, Disruptor Or Pushing Boundaries?
Over the years Pearl Lam has been given many titles, art world wonder, a female icon and entrepreneur, authority on Asian contemporary art and design, and disruptor. While Lam has not been too keen to see herself as a female icon, or feminist, one label that she does not shy away from is being a disruptor. Pearl Lam is a self-proclaimed disruptor, and rebel and it’s in her DNA to challenge not only the art world but creativity, fashion, and design.
It is easy to notice the way she has changed the status quo of not only the Chinese but Asian art landscape. Pearl Lam is considered an art world wonder because it is not far from the truth that it was she who single-handedly changed the Chinese art landscape, in which Hong Kong took over the art market over the U.K. Hong Kong Art Basel is now one of the most sought-after art exhibition events in the world, where Pearl Lam’s stall is a primary attraction because of the artists she showcases there. The idea of rebelling and disrupting the art world has become Lam’s superpower because she refuses to conform to the tradition.
Pearl Lam is a unique individual, who breaks the tradition but understands how the contemporary world and art are rooted in that tradition. It is this vision that changes the way she not only conducts her galleries but selects the artists that she represents. This enables her to engage not only with a global audience but also diversify the understanding of art as a culture, a language, and even a soft power to start a conversation.
Pearl Lam Starting the Conversation
Pearl Lam, the art world wonder is a lady who walks the walk and talks the talk. She not only says that art is a soft power to start a conversation across cultures, races, ethnicities, and classes, but she also does that by hosting Pearl Lam’s podcast. It’s over six months since Lam started the podcast on YouTube and has been talking with not only artists but a wide range of professionals who find artistry in their work and challenge the conventions.
So, when we say Pearl Lam is a disruptor by default she is also pushing the boundaries not only in the field of art as the art world wonder but as a visionary and someone who refuses to see the world as defined by others. In a way, she has become the gift of China to not only the world of art but to the world that is divided and where only conversation can bring people together.
