Published - Pearl Lam, the art-coholic

Twenty-five years ago, while still a student in London, Pearl Lam bought her first painting at a student graduation show. She did not have enough money, but fortunately the artist allowed her to
pay for it in instalments. She hung the abstract painting by her bed, and soon enough, she was buying more. Today, the savvy businesswoman, daughter of the late Hong Kong real estate and media tycoon Lim Por-yen, has amassed a notable collection of Chinese contemporary art, while supporting and promoting Chinese artists and designers through her Contrasts Galleries in Shanghai and
Hong Kong.

Lam’s 315sq m penthouse apartment in Shanghai is a riot of eclectic furniture with a savvy mix of East meets West and old juxtaposed against new. Shanghai Art-Deco furniture is paired with contemporary wooden soup spoon-shaped chairs by Zhang Qingfang, a couch made of risqué newspaper collages by Mattia Bonetti and a set of fibreglass Mao Jackets by artist Sui Jianguo. Huge feathered Coco Cabana chandeliers by XYZ Design, the design collective she set up in 1997 and occasionally still designs for, preside over a 60-seat dining table decorated with Peter Ting’s finely detailed porcelain Buddha hands. Entirely decorated by Lam, the stunning penthouse apartment, which has been featured several times in design magazines, reflects her flamboyant and generous personality, yet also contrasts with the more private floor below that houses her private art collection. Here, serene
works by Zhang Huan hang next to calligraphies by Wang Tiande and Shao Fan’s Ming chair with Lucite — a traditional Chinese seat embedded in clear plastic. Read the whole story in Prestige Singapore this month.