Sam Lam

Curator & Project Director of “Chubby Hearts”

Hong Kong Design Centre

Sam Lam is a design leader dedicated to using creativity and innovation to drive positive social impact in Hong Kong. As the Curator and Project Director of ‘Chubby Hearts Hong Kong’ (2024), she has transformed public spaces through large-scale art and design projects, enhancing the vibrancy of the city.

Notable projects under Sam’s direction include the permanent collection at MTR Wanchai Station ‘This Is Wan Chai’ (2020) in collaboration with HK Ballet which celebrates local neighbourhood and togetherness; the district reimagining project of ‘Walala Mansion’ (2020) at Victoria Park that revitalised an urban oasis; and ‘River of Light’ (2021) along the Central Harbourfront that illuminated the city and reflected the unique culture and history of Hong Kong. Her work on ‘Design District Hong Kong’ (2018-2020) was internationally recognised as one of ‘The Innovative Culture Projects’ by the World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF) in 2022, for its potential to stimulate the local economy through creative tourism.

Currently serving as the Director of Business Development & Projects at the Hong Kong Design Centre, Sam spearheads impact-driven initiatives harnessing design thinking. With extensive credentials spanning curation, PR and marketing, visual arts, design innovation and research, she has united dynamic public and private sector stakeholders to develop solutions that uplift lives and strengthen neighbourhoods.

Serving as the Design Thinking Advisor for many Government projects that drive public service innovation, Sam’s cross-disciplinary expertise and passion for placemaking and public spaces demonstrate design’s potency for the betterment of urban environments, business and society as a whole. Through her visionary leadership, she is contributing to Hong Kong’s future development into a loveable human-centered city.

Sam received her Juris Doctor degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, MSc in International Relations from the University of Bristol, MA in Visual Arts from the Hong Kong Baptist University, BA in Creative Media from the City University of Hong Kong and Postgraduate Diploma in Innovation and Design Thinking from Emeritus offered in collaboration with MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Columbia Business School, and Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.