Pearl Lam
Gallerist
Music: 'My tastes are very mixed. I like baroque music, such as Vivaldi's Four Seasons, and hip-hop. I don't
like Canto-pop. Recently I've been listening to some rap music performed with traditional Chinese instruments. It's very unusual. I like artistic endeavours that challenge and provoke, especially when they have a cross-cultural element.'
Artists: 'My gallery, Contrasts, began promoting Chinese art long before it became a global force. I'm interested in artists who are looking for the essence of Chinese sensibility. I love the sculptor Shao Fan and XYZ, a group of four Chinese designers who have exhibited in my Shanghai gallery, and [sculptor] Luo Xu.'
Reading: 'I love to read. The next book on my list is Beijing Coma by Ma Jian.'
Household object: 'I have a 16-metre-long dining table in my Shanghai apartment. I often have 40 or 50 people to dinner. I have white porcelain hands for each place setting and they hold the plates.'
Gadget: 'I live for my laptop. My Apple Mac died recently. I had to make a special trip to West 23rd Street in Manhattan to get it fixed.'
Clothing: 'I love bright colours. I love purple. And I love to accessorise everything with bracelets. I have thousands of them; I buy them wherever I go.'
Food: 'I'm not a big fan of restau-rants but I love Hong Kong street food. I'm always asking my driver to take me to North Point, where there is amazing yu dan (fishballs) and bean cake. And blueberries -I can eat 20 boxes a day.'
Something you're never without: 'My mobile phones.'
Two things you'd take to a desert island: 'Good food and good company.'