FOLLOW YOUR HEART
the works shortlisted for the National Portrait Gallery’s annual BP Portrait Award, and will even make contact with the artists whose pieces caught her eye.
While Chao-lee started out with a degree in architecture, she eventually found a way to forge a career based on her main passion. What advice does she have for someone in a similar position, holding a professional degree but wanting to pursue a career in the art field? “Knowing about art history is one thing and knowing how to make a business out of it is another ball game altogether,” she says. “What you like is not necessarily what will sell. But you can’t select paintings based only on their profitability; that would be like selling your soul in a way. It can be quite hard to draw a balance. Talk to as many people from the industry as you can, to know more about the market. Running an art gallery is a hard way to make money, but if you have a strong passion for art, you will feel rewarded in different ways.”