GBA Lifestyle News
Director, de Sarthe Gallery
Willem Molesworth is the director of de Sarthe Gallery, a prominent art gallery that was originally founded in 1977 in Paris and now based in Hong Kong.
Born in New York City and raised in Connecticut, Molesworth studied Chinese contemporary literature at university, moving to Hong Kong in 2016 — the same year he took up his current post. He had worked at an art gallery in New York prior to the move, and creativity runs in his blood: his parents and brother are all in creative industries.
At de Sarthe, Molesworth handles the contemporary and modern programs. The gallery has a special focus in nurturing young and emerging talents in Asia, while also working with established names.
He has a philosophical way of looking at what his role brings. “I think to articulate a specific hope would be naive, given that art — in particular, contemporary art — is a basic, primal response to human civilization.”
“However, my role I think is to just try to be honest and genuine, and to provide artists with the support and platforms that they deserve,” he adds.
Molesworth sits on the board on the Hong Kong Art Gallery Association, which brings together local and international galleries. He is also working on an exciting project with his wife (The Loop 30 Under 30 2016 winner Ysabelle Cheung): “We are planning to initiate a series of traveling exhibitions, or exhibits, that will be displayed in a suitcase.” Watch this space.
His first job? Working for an animal hospital while in high school, walking dogs and assisting vets.
His role model? Ysabelle!
See the full list of The Loop HK’s 30 Under 30 Class of 2019.
Check out the highlights from the awards ceremony held on Feb 19, 2019.
