Yama Chan

Yama Chan believes that understanding and preserving our heritage reinforces our senses of identity, confidence and pride. She’s been dancing since she was young and, because of her loves for history and the arts, has visited museums and the theatre wherever study and work took her, whether it was universities in Berkeley and Chicago, or positions in investment banking and finance in New York and Los Angeles. After returning to Hong Kong, she felt the need to connect history with the future, preserve and perpetuate traditional crafts, and nurture a new generation of local artisans. The result was the non-profit Crafts on Peel Foundation, which fosters collaborations between master craftsmen and young designers and artisans, as well as supporting exchange between local and overseas artisans. Chan is proud that this year she introduced two bamboo works by Hong Kong artisans to the V&A’s permanent collection, an accomplishment she believes “is an important recognition of our local craftsmanship and artistry, which in turn provides encouragement and stimulus to our local craft community”.