Lap-See Lam

Biography

Lap-See Lam’s work traverses diverse genres and disciplines, from video installation to live performance, blending contemporary techniques with traditional references and methods.

The notion of the glitch interpreted as “generational loss” informs the artist’s visual language, both through literal data transfer and the idiomatic inheritance of familial knowledge. Lap-See Lam draws on experiences of the Cantonese diaspora, including traditional forms of storytelling such as shadow play and Cantonese opera, as well as the aesthetics of Western Chinese restaurants.

Lap-See Lam creates mythical imaginations of Chinoiserie as defined by imperialist history, while simultaneously reflecting on her own family history to both claim ownership and complicate the idea of cultural heritage.

In 2024, Lap-See Lam represented Sweden at the 60th Venice Biennale. Her site-specific, audiovisual installation, “The Altersea Opera”, realized with composer Tze Yeung Ho and textile artist Kholod Hawash, was commissioned by Moderna Museet in Stockholm for the Nordic Pavilion.

Lap-See Lam was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1990, where she lives and works.

Selected exhibitions

Recent solo exhibitions include PHI, Montréal (2025); Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (2025); The Power Plant Gallery of Contemporary Art, Toronto (2024-25); Studio Voltaire, London (2024); AKG Art Museum, Buffalo (2023-24); Swiss Institute, New York (2023); Portikus, Frankfurt (2023); Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm (2022); Trondheim Kunstmuseum (2021); and Moderna Museet Malmö (2018-19).

Lap-See Lam’s past group exhibitions include Sammlung Philara, Düsseldorf (2024); Ars Fennica, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki (2023-2024); Ghost 2565, Bangkok (2022); KINDL – Centre for Contemporary Art, Berlin (2022); Power Station of Art, Shanghai (2021); PinchukArtCentre (2021); Uppsala Konstmuseum (2020); Performa 19 in New York (2019); Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris (2019); Luleå Biennial (2018); Kópavogur Art Museum, Kópavogur (2018); and Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen (2017).

Lap-See Lam is the 2025 recipient of The Lise Wilhelmsen Art Award. Her work is included in institutional collections such as the Buffalo AKG Art Museum; USA; Kadist Foundation, France/USA; M+, Hong Kong; Moderna Museet, Malmö Konstmuseum, Röhsska Museet and Public Art Agency, Sweden.