Off She Goes

After a ten-year run, Adeline Ooi bids adieu to Art Basel as its Asia director. During her tenure, Ooi made significant contributions to the fair, elevating its status and establishing it as a premier platform for contemporary art in the region. Here, she looks back on what she calls “the ride of her life”

By Tara Sobti

I grew up in rural Malaysia. My father worked as a plantation manager. We moved around a lot and I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. Mum was sort of artistic. She crocheted, knitted and cross-stitched. I went to school in Singapore at the age of 13. My father always said that if he didn’t send me away, I’d never get a proper education because I’d be a jungle kid [laughs]. Somewhere in my late teens, I realised I was not really cut out for a nine-to-five job. Growing up in a traditional Chinese family, it was easy to make your family proud if you became a doctor, accountant or lawyer. I knew it wasn’t for me. I couldn’t work in a cubicle. I gravitated towards the…

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Tatler Hong Kong (Digital) - 1 Issue, January 2024

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