As one of the nominees for the Women of Hope Awards 2018, Alisan Fine Arts' Daphne King-Yao talks about managing one of Hong Kong's first galleries and watching the city's art scene evolve
Having been recently nominated for the Women of Hope award, Daphne King-Yao, the director of Alisan Fine Arts, is not only a gallerist but also a dedicated philanthropist in the arts and culture sector. Following her passion for art, Daphne is a trustee of the Friends of the Hong Kong Museum, and a board member of The Ink Society and Hong Kong Ballet. She is also a board member of Le French May, the annual month-long programme that promotes cultural exchange between Hong Kong and France.
Founded by Daphne’s mother Alice Kung in 1981, Alisan Fine Arts was one of Hong Kong’s first galleries and is known for its efforts to promote Chinese contemporary art. In 1997, Daphne left the advertising industry to assist her mum with the operations of the gallery and has since worked with countless world-renowned artists.
We sat down for a chat with Daphne at her gallery in Central to talk about Women of Hope and her journey as a female leader in the local art scene: