The Conversation

In the art world, how much power do women hold? In 2017, of the top 100 artists whose work fetched the highest amount at auction, just 13 were women. Two female art-dealers who have pioneered Czech and Asian art on the international scene, discuss how that affects the way they value and sell art made by women. Pearl Lam is an iconic art dealer and a pioneer in raising the profile of Chinese art. She is the founder of Pearl Lam Galleries which operate in Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong. She is considered a powerhouse within Asia's contemporary art scene and says that although it is all about the art, not the artist, she has become aware of issues with gender and diversity. Katherine (Kacha) Kastner co-founded the gallery Hunt Kastner in Prague in 2005 at a time when there was no established tradition of commercial galleries in the Czech Republic. The goal was to offer a more professional representation of Czech artists both locally and internationally. She says that though she would never choose an artist based on their gender, she is trying to do more to promote female artists. Left: Katherine Kastner (credit: Jiri Thyn) Right: Pearl Lam (credit: William Louey)