In this lecture, artist Mr. Wallace CHAN and curator Mr. James PUTNAM will share their ideas on artistry and creativity across time.

Mr. Wallace Chan is an artist and innovator. His curiosity and thirst for knowledge have led to his creation of numerous innovations, which have thus far included: The Wallace Cut (an illusionary three-dimensional carving technique invented in 1987), the mastery of titanium in jewelry making, a patented jadeite luminosity-enhancing technology, the invention of elaborate gemstone settings without metal claws, and most recently, The Wallace Chan Porcelain, a material five times stronger than steel.

Mr. Chan’s works are in the permanent collections of the British Museum (2019), the Capital Museum of China (2010), and the Ningbo Museum (2010). He has had solo exhibitions showcasing his works at Fondaco Marcello (Venice, 2021 & 2022), Canary Wharf (London, 2022), Christie’s (Shanghai, 2021), Asia House (London, 2019), Christie’s Gallery (Hong Kong, 2019), the Gemological Institute of America Museum (Carlsbad, 2011), the Capital Museum of China (Beijing, 2010), the Kaohsiung Museum of History (Taiwan, 1999), and Deutsches Edelsteinmuseum (Idar-Oberstein, 1992).

Mr. Chan has given talks and lectures at prestigious institutions, including DIVA Museum (Antwerp, 2021), Tongji University (Shanghai, 2021), Christie’s (Shanghai, 2020 & 2021), the De Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design (Maastricht, 2020), the British Museum (London, 2019), the Royal College of Art (London, 2019), the University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong, 2019), Christie’s Education (Hong Kong, 2019), the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (London, 2018), the Sarabande Foundation (London, 2018), Sciences Po (Paris, 2018), Harvard University (Cambridge, 2017), Central Saint Martins (London, 2017), the Victoria and Albert Museum (London, 2016), and Christie’s (Paris, 2014).

Mr. James PUTNAM is an independent curator. He studied Art History at the University of London and went on to join the Egyptian Antiquities and then the Education Departments of the British Museum. He was the founder and curator of the British Museum’s Contemporary Arts and Cultures Programme from 1999 to 2003. Since 1994, he has organized a number of critically-acclaimed exhibitions for major museums, juxtaposing the work of contemporary artists with their collections. He was also a Visiting Scholar in Museum Studies at New York University (2003-2004), a Senior Lecturer in Curating at Central Saint Martins of the University of the Arts, London (UAL) (2004-2011) and a Senior Research Fellow: Exhibitions at UAL (2010-2021). In the last decade, he has regularly curated projects for biennials, both in Asia and Venice.

Mr. Putnam is also a writer, having published both on ancient and contemporary art. His book Art and Artifact – The Museum as Medium surveys the interaction between contemporary artists and the museum.