Pace Gallery has named Asian art auction veteran Evelyn Lin as its president of Greater China. Based in Hong Kong, Lin will be responsible for spearheading sales, business development, as well as artist engagement in the region starting October 1. She joins the mega gallery following the departure of its former Asia president Leng Lin, who left earlier this spring after 16 years.

Most recently the co-head of the 20th and 21st century art department at Christie’s Asia Pacific, Lin began her career in 1998. She was the Asia head of contemporary at Sotheby’s from 2004 to 2017, before joining Christie’s as deputy chairman in 2018. She left the house in spring.

Among her career highlights are auction records for top Asian artists including Chinese-French artist Sanyu, Korean artist Kim Whanki, as well as Chinese artists Zeng Fanzhi and Zhang Xiaogang; the latter is represented by Pace. She is often recognized for her contribution to establishing contemporary Asian art auctions, especially contemporary Chinese art. She also helped to introduce Gutai and Dansaekhwa art movements to Asia’s auction scene during her time at Sotheby’s.

Installation view of “Maysha Mohamedi: yesterday I was a tiny tube of toothpaste” at Pace Gallery in Tokyo. Photo by Keizo Kioku. Courtesy Pace Gallery.

Lin is not the first senior art auction executive in Asia that Pace has recruited. In March, Kyoko Hattori, a former director at Phillips, joined Pace as vice president to lead the gallery’s expansion in Tokyo with a space at Azabudai Hills. Designed by renowned Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, the gallery has just officially opened with the presentation of Californian artist Maysha Mohamedi this month.

Pace first ventured into Asia with an outpost in Beijing that opened in the Chinese capital’s 798 Art District in 2008, which was closed in 2019 amid ongoing U.S.-China trade war. The gallery currently has outposts in Hong Kong, Seoul, and Tokyo. Together with Youngjoo Lee, senior vice president of Pace in Seoul, Lin and Hattori are expected to be working closely to lead Pace’s operation in Asia.

“Asia is brimming with energy and creativity, and I am passionate about bringing more exceptional artists and exhibitions to the region. I’m thrilled to join Pace at this exciting moment in the international art world, and I look forward to collaborating with the gallery’s talented team and engaging with the dynamic community here,” Lin said in a statement.

Robert Indiana, Ginkgo (2000). Oil on canvas, 60 × 50 in. (152.4 × 127 cm). Private collection. © Star of Hope Foundation, Vinalhaven, Maine. Image courtesy of The Robert Indiana Legacy Initiative.

“We’re so pleased to welcome Evelyn to Pace. As President of Greater China, she will play a key role within our growing team in Asia, working with leadership across Hong Kong, Seoul, and Tokyo,” noted Samanthe Rubell, president of Pace Gallery, in a statement. “Her appointment marks a new chapter in our long history in China, where we’ve been fortunate to build lasting, meaningful relationships with artists and collectors over the past 16 years. We look forward to continuing to nurture those connections, and to remaining a major player in Asia’s expansive art world for years to come.”

Lin’s first major project in her new role will be leading the development of an exhibition of Robert Indiana, which is set to open at the gallery’s space at H Queen’s in Hong Kong on March 24 through April 30, coinciding with Art Basel Hong Kong. The show will follow the artist’s survey “The Sweet Mystery,” an official collateral event of this year’s Venice Biennale, and it will feature the artist’s paintings and sculptures.