Precious pearl

Art collectors in Hong Kong would be familiar with this name: Pearl Lam. A contemporary art collector and patron as well as owner of Pearl Lam Galleries, she has been pushing the boundaries of art and appreciation toward different cultures since 2005.

Lam, the daughter of Lai Sun Group founder Lim Por-yen, is a strong promotor of Chinese contemporary art and the very first person to launch the Chinese abstract. Lam also established The China Art Foundation in 2008, aiming to expand its charitable mission.

Her interest in Chinese calligraphy and paintings was built up from a young age. "I have ADHD so when they found out, I was taught how to write Chinese calligraphy to focus. And I also learned painting," she said

And her rebellious streak also showed itself early. "Of course, my parents wanted me to either participate in the family business or be a professional," she said.

"I studied accountancy and financial management because I was stopped from pursuing art or architecture then."

In 1992, she came back to Hong Kong see her father to negotiate her return and to open a gallery. "It's not that I knew how a gallery operated," she said. "I just wanted to do something that he had no control over. So I thought art would be fantastic because there's no control."

Lam's father later agreed that she could do pop-up shows. "But he didn't know what a pop-up was," she said. "I felt like I was finally alive as all my life I felt like a living zombie."

The art bug bit and she knew she wanted to open a proper gallery and bring the diversity that was missing in Hong Kong then. "We are talking about both contemporary art and cultures, so we had to be in sync with what the world was moving towards," she said.

This passion runs through her work and her journey in the art world is as fascinating as the artworks she collects and admires.

"I don't categorize artwork as a particular country or nation," she said. "I'm more into speaking with different people, meeting different people, getting to know them."

Her genuine curiosity and respect for cultural diversity have led her on a journey across continents for more than 20 years in search of artistic inspiration and understanding of cultures.

"I'm also a foodie, I love eating," she said. "And I'm adventurous. When I was in Africa. I tried this huge snail and had a goat head which even local people told me not many of them have tried."

Much has been written about Lam but one little known fact is that she shares a love for African tribal art - born from her experiences in the continent. In her trips to Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal, she immersed herself in the rich tapestry of tribal culture and artworks. "I realized I have this connection with Africa, I love their tribal art and culture."

She has made it her mission to bring this art to the world. Now showing in Pearl Lam Gallery Shanghai is Nigerian artist Babajide Olatunji's first solo exhibition in Asia, Atunwa Portraying the Different Biographies of an Artist.

Ghanaians Emmanuel Kwaku Yaro and Abdur Rahman Muhammad are another two African artists seen at Pearl Lam Gallery's Art Basel space.

Yaro is a self-taught artist who incorporates recycled materials in his acrylic portraits while Muhammad is influenced by the hip-hop culture of western music and its influence on Ghanaian youth.

Lam's eclectic tastes and adventurous spirit are not confined to Africa. She is also fascinated by Australia's aboriginal arts.

"I'm in awe of their landscape paintings. I hopped on a helicopter and got to see the exact landscapes which they painted. And at their times, they weren't high up in the sky to be able to witness all this."

Having succeeded in making a name for herself in the world of contemporary art with her eponymous galleries in Hong Kong and Shanghai, you would expect Lam to be happy to rest on her laurels.

But the human dynamo cannot stay still.

"I sleep at most two to three hours a day," she said. Funnily enough, she said, "I sleep very comfortably on a plane, and head straight to work after landing."

Her latest project is the Pearl Lam Podcast, where she invites various industry leaders to share their experiences. The podcast recently marked its six-month milestone.

"The Pearl Lam Podcast is a place for discovering new and emerging disruptors who shaped their world. I'm pleased to with our progress and excited that there is more to come," she said.

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