Angelle Siyang-Le’s Journey to Art Basel Hong Kong: An International Edition

The director of Asia’s largest contemporary art fair on finding her voice through art and immersing herself in the artistic community

During my early years, I lived in Mainland China. My mother traveled with me across various regions of China due to her work, which spanned journalism, trading, and publishing. The precise sequence of her career changes eludes me, but I recall moving from one place to another frequently.
Shanghai, Shenzhen
And Nanning, close to the Vietnamese border. When I was about 12 years old, I was dispatched to England. Similar to numerous youngsters during that period, I was among the tide of children who were sent overseas for education.

Luck of the draw

In primary school, we were encouraged to maintain a journal. I recall my teacher mentioning, “There’s no need to begin your diary with ‘
jintian
‘Today, you could begin by illustrating your day; perhaps opt for a more artistic approach.’ When I was around eight or nine years old, I clearly preferred coloring my days rather than merely documenting events.

Finding a forte

Back when I was in mainland China, fields like art were not seen as legitimate subjects; they weren’t taken seriously compared to literature and sciences. Therefore, it wasn’t until I relocated to England that I discovered my passion for art and design. It took getting an A-Level art scholarship for me to realize, “Maybe this could actually be a viable career option.”

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Express permission

When I was around 15 or 16 years old, my teacher first showed me
Alberto Giacometti’s work
His creations aren’t particularly simple to appreciate—they’re not the most visually appealing or vibrant. However, I found myself intrigued by the story behind them and the reasons driving this artist to produce such somber works. The paintings and sculptures exuded a profound sense of weightiness. For me, this represented the duality of art—it’s not merely about beautiful aspects of life. This realization led me to view art as more than decoration; instead, it became for me a form of expression and a historical record.

Master plan

My mom was skeptical about my choice of pursuing a fine arts degree. She felt I should opt for something closely related to art, but with better prospects for employment. As a result, I went ahead with that alternative option.
urban design and planning
At University College London, they offered me an unconditional place to pursue my master’s degree. I convinced my mother once more to let me study art history for my master’s since I had taken architectural history as part of my foundational coursework.

Goodbye, Gagosian

During my master’s degree, I worked in galleries and also had an internship at the Pinta Art Fair. Later, I received an invitation from the Gagosian to join as a registrar. However, I chose to relocate to Dubai with my then boyfriend instead of accepting the position at Gagosian.

Hello, Dubai

The first time I went to Dubai, sometime between 2008 and 2009, the city was just starting to develop its modern art community. I searched for galleries but could find only one or two. After interning at Art Dubai, I started looking into various possibilities until I connected with an individual collector named Rami Farook. He gave me a position within his collection. At that point, I informed my mom, “I’ve secured a role in Dubai.”

Moving on up

I applied to
Art Basel
Since I learned about the plan for a new fair opening in Hong Kong back in 2012, I decided to apply, not really expecting anything to come of it. However, I received a phone call the very next day offering me the position. Before I could fully process everything, three weeks had passed, and I found myself relocating to Hong Kong.

Community spirit

Upon arriving in Hong Kong
When I returned to Dubai, the art scene had expanded significantly since my initial arrival. However, the strong sense of community where everyone supported one another remained unchanged, which made the adjustment smooth. From Rami, I understood the significance of having a supportive community, a lesson I’ve carried with me ever since. Over these past 13 years, I have witnessed and been part of the growth of Hong Kong’s artistic circle alongside it.

In the family

I am a parent to two kids, and engaging with art has been an integral aspect of their upbringing. In contrast, this wasn’t something present during my own childhood. By the time my eldest child arrived in early February, the nearby Art Basel event took place just weeks later in March. Even at merely a month old, he attended his inaugural Art Basel exhibition. This tradition continued as he joined us for each subsequent show.
My young ones exhibit remarkable creativity through painting; they’re free to convey themselves without constraints imposed by notions of correctness or error within artistic expression. For them, making art comes naturally—almost like second nature—an inherent trait woven into who they are from birth.