Kindred Spirits alan lo and william Zhao

restaurateur alan Lo and art expert William Zhao are part of the art Committee for Duddell’s—the Chinese restaurant and salon on Duddell Street that has garnered two Michelin stars—and their mutual love of art marked the start of a close friendship.

“William and I met in the art circuit as fellow collectors; we’re also active supporters of the hong Kong art scene, including non-profit organisations such as the asia art archive and Para Site. over the years, we’ve become good friends,” says alan. “I think whether you get along with someone is a gut feeling. William has an interesting sense of humour so it’s such a pleasure to hang out with him. We’re always travelling together to visit art exhibitions, fairs and artist studios.”

“We speak the same language when it comes to restaurants and art,” says William. “alan is like a brother to me—he’s very easy-going and we fully trust each other, so I feel very comfortable with him.”

alan and William, along with yana Peel, Chrissy Sharp and recently added member Chantal Wong, put together an eclectic art programme for Duddell’s that showcases both hong Kongbased and international artists. an exhibit of note featured renowned vietnamese-born Danish conceptual artist Danh vo, held in late 2014, and the team is now working on a display of works by established Mainland Chinese artist Song Dong.

“Every exhibition that we launch at Duddell’s is a milestone for us,” says William. “It allows us to share different points of view on art, society and hong Kong. alan and I get a lot of inspiration and enriching experiences with each show that we put on.”