Pearl Lam’s Unconventional Journey into the World of Art

It would have been easier for Pearl Lam to get into the world of real estate, a business in which her father Lim Por-yen was famous, but she wanted to be in something where her father wouldn’t have any control. The result was discovering the world of art. However, according to her, she had no idea what she was getting into, but purchasing her first art made her feel alive, and as everyone says, the rest is history.

The Start of International Gallerist Pearl Lam

Though Pearl Lam stated in several interviews that she had little to no idea about art before her first purchase, her artistic flair was obvious when she was four years old. At that early age, this powerhouse of China’s art world became an expert in Chinese calligraphy, a coveted traditional art form that is ranked higher than others. It is from calligraphy that Pearl Lam moved onto painting, which became an outlet to express herself and escape from her controlling father. Creativity helped Pearl Lam find direction and focus in her art when she was diagnosed with ADHD.

Even though Pearl Lam fell in love with art at a very young age, her entry into the world of art as an art gallerist and getting into the limelight as the most recognisable gallerist in the world was not intentional. She went to Shanghai on her father’s insistence to learn the ways of becoming an efficient property developer like her father. Pearl Lam’s destiny was not to be a lady dealing with properties but with art once she went to Shanghai. Instead of learning the ropes of becoming a property developer, Lam spent her three months’ salary buying a couple of paintings by artist Sun Liang.

Pearl Lam: The Owner of Pearl Lam Galleries

The reaction to spending her earnings on purchasing art was not welcomed by Pearl Lam’s family; instead, she was met with hostility. But Pearl Lam was determined as ever to not give up on her passion for art; instead, she decided to do something with it and forge a path of her own. Ms Lam’s perseverance paid off, and the first Pearl Lam gallery was opened in 2005 in Shanghai.

But that was not the end of the journey; instead, it was just the beginning, because in 2012, the second Pearl Lam Gallery was opened in Hong Kong.

The galleries started playing a vital role in initiating an international dialogue in Asia between the East and West while opening a cross-cultural exchange. A new attitude to the concept of art galleries in China and Asia was brought in by Lam with her galleries, where the display of the paintings and sculptures was elevated to a museum-quality exhibition.

Becoming a Female Icon and Entrepreneur

Very few people remember or acknowledge the struggle they go through to reach the top; Pearl Lam is one of those few. The result is creating a place with the Pearl Lam galleries where not only new artists from Asia but also from the West are given a space to showcase their talent. A strategic curation is done by international gallerist Pearl Lam, where not only traditional art is displayed, but a lead is taken to promote digital and virtual art forms.

Pearl Lam makes an effort to promote new artists around the world and position herself as an educator in the field. According to Lam, art is more than just a showpiece in a gallery or at home; it is the gateway to understanding culture and tolerance for others. Pearl Lam’s efforts, which started as a passion for art, have now elevated her to be more than a gallerist; she has become a female icon and entrepreneur and the most influential Asian in the world, according to Tatler.