Hong Kong-based artist Vivian Ho (MBA, Class of 2018) reflects on her journey in the art world and how she navigates the local art scene as a woman.
One of Vivian’s earliest encounters with the art world back in Hong Kong in 2012 after returning from studying art at Wesleyan University in the United States was less than positive, with the boss of a well-known gallery casting doubt on whether as a young female artist, she is just going to get married in the future and stop being an artist.
Not to be deterred by the stereotyping remarks, she achieved success early on, with her art piece now being exhibited at the new M+ museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District, fulfilling her dream of becoming a museum artist. Her works have also appeared in unexpected locations across the city, including fresh markets, in addition to being featured at a gallery in Paris.
Experiencing a “bottleneck” a few years into her career, she decided to pursue an MBA from HKUST in 2015 to add more worldly skills to her proficiency as an artist. The business education helped her gain confidence and negotiation skills, and allowed her to navigate the complexities of the art world.
Working in a field where females tend to be under-represented, Vivian says she has not yet come up against a glass ceiling in her career, but admits that perceptions of female artists in the art world do worry her. She is nonetheless optimistic about the general prospects for women in the art world.
She has recently become interested in the new revolution of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs – non-physical digital art traded online using blockchain technology, which she hopes will open up new possibilities for artists.
Read the full interview here.
