Our Team

About

Arts Without Borders

Our Mission

Arts Without Borders dedicates to promote art crossing boundaries through programs in art, culture and education in the belief that all ways of creativity overcome all forms of borders: cultural, social, disciplinary, gender or geographical. Arts Without Borders provides resources to launch, nurture and showcase artists, media makers, and literates worldwide. We advance access to better understanding of culture by offering exchange programs to people of all age, as well as a greater transcultural elevation through organizing forums and symposiums concentrating on different subjects of global concerns.

Statement

When the youngest curator in China step into a brainstorm with the World’s most prominent curating masters over the Nanjing Biennale in 2010, the possibilities and potentials of art crossing boundaries enlightened her version. This became the founding moment of this movement.

The collective appreciates and remembers all varieties of art, be that painting, photography, cinematography, stage art, architecture, literature, poem, music and all other possible forms of creativity.

We care about the creative way to overcome all forms of borders: political, social, disciplinary, gender or geographical, because we firmly put our faith in the guiding principle: Art for All and All for Art.

President

FOUNDER / PRESIDENT

Xiaoyun Zhang

The youngest curator of China

PRESIDENT PROFILE01

Xiaoyun Zhang is the founder of AWB. Her experience in past art project curating helped forging AWB.

“In 2008, as curating assistant of the late Korean Curator Won-il Rhee, I was engaged in a two-year experience preparing for Nanjing Biennale, during which time I was greatly influenced by his knowledge, professionalism and devotion to art. I still remember he said that we should continue to seek for good art , new artists , making their artworks more recognized. This became the founding momentum of Arts Without Borders. Thus, I dedicate to foster a not-for profit organization in pursuit of “borderlessness” in the massive presentation of art, the creative promotion of culture and the free flow of information. Arts Without Borders aims to transcend all limits of art, because we believe art is for all.”

– Xiaoyun Zhang, in her speech Towards a Universal Renaissance

Executive Directors

David Knepper

Senior Independent Director

David is Business Unit Director at the headquarter of J.P Morgan Chase. He serves as our senior Independent Director, making a significant contribution to AWB’s audits and financial structure.

Jade Ma

Executive Director

Jade is trained in Arts Administration and Policy at SAIC, before which she completed her B.A degree in Film Industry and Media Studies at Peking University. As Former Manager at Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery and Executive Producer of documentary projects at Companion Cultural Foundation, she brings her cross-border experience.

Non-Executive Directors

Eleonora Battiston

Non-Executive Director / Senior Consultant

Italian international Curator. Eleonora serves as our senior consultant in the expansion of International arts projects.

Zhu Tong

Non-Executive Director / Senior Consultant

Well-known Chinese International Curator, Curatorial Pioneer of the internationalization of Chinese Art. As a full believer dedicated in the promotion of new art, Zhu Tong serves as our senior consultant in the expansion of arts projects in China.

Leadership Team

DAN LIU

Business Development Director

Dan graduated from Peking University in Spanish Philology and Economics, after which he joined SINOPEC’s LatAm Investment Operations. Dan is trained in Public Policy and International Finance at Columbia University and serves as our coordinator in developing LatAm market and strengthening business connections.

Chenxin Yang

Motion Design Lead

As an award-winning motion artist, Chenxin leads our motion design team to contribute in motion art and graphics for website, illustrations, interface animations, marketing, event, and campaign design. She implemented a coherent, engaging, accessible narrative into motion graphic designs.

Cheng Yinan

Curating Director

After two-year study at Central Academy of Drama in Directing, Cheng Yinan went to Rochester Institute of Technology to earn his arts degree. He is currently pursuing his MFA degree at the School of Visual Arts, and serves as an assistant of the American conceptual artist Joseph Kosuth. Yinan is our Director of Curatorial Process in U.S.A.

Jin Yu

Art Director

Born in a family of art and literature in Jinan, Jin Yu is a talented young artist, who is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Sculpture and Printmaking at the Rhode Island School of Design. She serves as an interactional art community liaison at AWB, responsible for art reviewing.

Vinon Chou

Creative Director

Vinon Chou received his B.A. degree in Korean Language and Culture at Peking University and Master’s degree in Advertising at the School of Journalism and Communication, Nanjing University. Once served as the Director of Planning Division at Kia Motors (China), Vinon is in charge of the Design and Style of AWB.

Tamir Moses

Digital Director

An American Digital genius studying at Parsons School of Design, Tamir Moses is responsible for the technical support of AWB’s online platforms.

Chrstine Hung

Chief Auditor

Christine Hung comes from Taiwan, and studies at Boston University, majoring auditing. She is responsible for AWB’s accounts auditing and submission.

Ferdinand Leung

Media Director

Ferdinand Leung received his bachelor’s degree at Peking University. He provides guidance regarding AWB’s media business.

Lucy Lu

Education Director

Lucy Lu received her Master of Education in Economics and Education at Columbia University, before which she completed her B.A degree at Fudan University. Once served as Education Director at Youth Alumni Council and Global Youth Practice Network, Lucy is our Education Director.

Supervisors

Yixuan Cai

Art Supervisor

Yixuan studies Architecture at Rhode Island School of Design. Her vision of art in social mechanism and expertise in scene design gave AWB power to overlook space-body connection in a creative way. Yixuan is also the founder of active art discussion group “Converzatione”.

Connie Hu

Financial Supervisor / Budget Manager

Connie Hu received her Bachelor’s degree in Economics at Renmin University of China and Master’s degree at Columbia University. Connie manages AWB’s budget and balances financial operations.

Tiffany Rong

Investment Supervisor / HK Coordinator

Received her B.A. degree in Economics at Wellesley College, Tiffany Rong once worked for J.P. Morgan Chase in New York and Hong Kong, and currently serves as investment manager at HarbourVest. Tiffany is our Hong Kong Business Explorer, in charge of Financial system of AWB.

Sophie Li

Investment Supervisor/NY Coordinator

Sophie Li received her B.S. degree in Financial Engineering at Wuhan University and Master’s degree at Columbia University. Sophie has work experience at top investment banks and private equity funds, and has participated in art investment and financing. Affected by her father, Sophie grew up with art. She supervises the investment-related businesses at AWB.

Senior Advisors

Liang Quan

Art Advisor

Chinese Artist. As one of the most significant explorer in Chinese Abstract Art and Experimental Ink Art, Liang Quan is our major advisor of arts business in China.

Jeongki Lim

Art Advisor

Korean Designer. Founder of STUDIO Reimagine. Jeongki is our special observer of the East Asian art market.

Jim Jia

Financial Advisor

Jim received his MBA degree at New York University Stern School of Business, before which he completed his B.S degree in Financial Mathematics at University of Michigan Ann Arbor. As the youngest Asso. of J.P. Morgan Chase, Jim is devoted to the registration and tax design for AWB.

Shen Qun

Public Relations Advisor

Founder and President of China-U.S Business Summit. Shen Qun is our major supporter in promotion in the U.S.A.

Special Consultants

Gayatri Thapar

Visualization Consultant

Sung-bin Hong

Fashion Consultant

Kwaku Opuku

Web Consultant

AWB History

Arts Without Borders is a not-for-profit organization in pursuit of “Borderlessness” in the massive presentation of art expression, the transcendent promotion of culture, and the free flow of information in general. Aiming to eliminate all limits of art, Arts Without Borders is a promising presenter of boundary-crossing arts programming in Manhattan, as one of the most diverse and prominent in New York City. Arts Without Borders programs reach hundreds of thousands of people each year both in the U.S.A. and in China.

Founded in 2015, Arts Without Borders is the sole brainchild of Xiaoyun Zhang. In 2008, as curating assistant of the late Korean Curator Won-il Rhee, she was engaged in a two-year experience preparing for Nanjing Biennale, during which time she was greatly influenced by his knowledge, professionalism and devotion to art. This became the founding momentum of Arts Without Borders.

Our main venue in New York, offers a major contemporary art exhibition space in which presents and incubates work by both emerging and established artists whose creativity corresponds to our concepts.

In addition to providing considerable support to artists in their endeavors to develop work and reach new audiences, Arts Without Borders is committed to making art and culture genuinely accessible by offering education and other critical programs, including transcultural forums and symposiums at China and U.S.A. and throughout the world.

Careers

Arts Without Borders

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Partners

中国美术学院

China Academy of Art

四川美术学院

Sichuan Fine Arts Institute