Dec 21

Dec 21 SPOTLIGHT ON CLAUDIA CHENG

Art, Creative People, Culture, Interviews

I’m an independent curator and art advisor living between London and Hong Kong. I curate exhibitions focused on female artists in hopes of bringing women’s narratives to the forefront of a historically male-dominated industry. This year, I’ve had the pleasure of curating a couple of all-female exhibitions, including ‘The Earth has music for those who listen’ at Sapling Gallery, ‘Through the Prism’ at Gillian Jason Gallery, ‘Window to Her Soul’ as well as a benefit auction for Artsy.

From celebrating mixed heritages and dimensional identities to honouring our spiritual connection with nature and the cosmos, each exhibition strives to present different perspectives from which we may learn, grow, and appreciate life.

Tell us about your greatest inspirations or influences Claudia?

I’m inspired by many forms of art-–from painting and architecture, to music and literature. I feel very lucky to live in London, where I can immerse myself in its brilliant cultural scene any day of the week. I feel constantly inspired by the gallery or museum exhibitions, jazz shows, and artist studio visits that I attend weekly. Interviewing and conversing with the incredible women artists around me, such as Cecilia Fiona, Mizuki Nishiyama, Cecilia Granara, Jade Ching, Maja Ruznic, and Mary Corse about their practices and the unique ways in which they see the world are extremely inspiring. I learn so much about the art market, socio-political discourse, and the broader human experience through the work of contemporary artists.

I also love to read-–I’ve been a bookworm for as long as I can remember. A few books that have deeply inspired me are The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel, and I’ve recently really enjoyed The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel.

Tell us a bit about your creative process?

It’s a continuous process of growth and discovery. I spend a lot of time reading, visiting artist studios, galleries, and museum exhibitions. Every exhibition is a window to a new perspective. Each conversation adds a thread to the constellation of connections that weave together life’s fabric. Through seeing shows, reading, and having conversations with friends in the industry, I’m constantly learning and developing my realm of knowledge. My curatorial practice reflects this continuous journey of expansion.

How did the pandemic affect your creativity and how do you see the world changing?

The pandemic drove the art industry online, which has had a positive effect in increasing transparency, fostering sustainability, and bringing people in different geographic locations closer together. I think this change has encouraged us all to think outside the box, be more open to collaborations, and make art more accessible to global audiences. Museums, galleries, auction houses, and art fairs have all adapted for the growing digital community by creating online viewing rooms and virtual programming. Collectors, too, are going digital, with 37% preferring to purchase art online than in-person from dealers, which is up 8% from 2020 according to Art Basel & UBS’ A Survey of Global Collecting in 2022. Artists and curators have also gotten more creative with ways to share their work-–giving interviews, studio visits or exhibition tours online to reach wider audiences. This digital transformation has widened the geographical scope of the art world, encouraging cross-cultural communication and understanding, as well as increasing diversity in creativity and tastes

What does wellbeing mean to you, and what do you practice?

Wellbeing is the state in which my mind, body and soul are in harmony and at peace. In the book by Eckhart Tolle I mentioned, he says, ‘Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance...You are not in the universe, you are the universe, an intrinsic part of it. Ultimately you are not a person, but a focal point where the universe is becoming conscious of itself. What an amazing miracle.’ I believe that practicing gratitude and living in the present moment are the most important factors to attaining happiness and wellbeing. Sometimes I can be moved to tears just by hearing the beautiful crescendo of trumpets in a song, or appreciating the way sunlight coats the edges of a leaf or shimmers across the ocean. I think it’s because in those moments, I am fully living in the present and become completely lost in the beauty of being.