Dora Lam is a socially-engaged artist, communitarian and live painter based in London. Her interdisciplinary practice navigates notions of identity, diaspora and heritage. Community and public engagement is pivotal in her practice, which explores how collaborative art-making can create spaces for conversations which may sidestep communication barriers and uncover alternative modes of heritage.
Dora has been Resident Artist at the Jazz Cafe Camden since 2019. She is a community organiser and trustee at ESEA Community Centre and co-founder of the ESEA Archives book club.
EXHIBITIONS/TALKS/WORKSHOPS
2025
Cultural Hackney: Let’s Create! Workshop Programme Curator and Producer, ESEA Community Centre
Cabinet of Curiosities Artist-facilitator (Lauderdale House) - Parliament Hill School
Resident Artist (Live Painting) - Ongoing since 2019 - The Jazz Cafe
2024
Overcoming Blocks - Bow Skills Workshop - Bow Arts
‘Some time some place’ Live Paintings, Solo Exhibition - Cromwell Tower, Barbican Estate
‘ESEA Critical Directions’ Panel discussion - City University
Game Night with ESEA Community Centre, Our Street Late - Barbican Centre
2023
ALTAR-NATIVE Group Exhibition and Workshop - Ugly Duck Courage Yard
ALTAR-NATIVE Rhythm & Ritual Workshop - Ugly Duck Courage Yard
No Place Like Home Panel discussion - Museum of the Home
The Navigator Project Chapter 1: Methods of Documenting a Journey Exhibition - Fitzrovia Gallery
HERITAGE, RESEARCH AND COLLABORATION WITH ESEA COMMUNITIES Talk - Tate Liverpool
Uncovering Vietnamese Archives Workshops and Live Exhibition - Museum of the Home
QMH Arts Afternoons - Queen Mary’s Hospital Roehampton
Not Too Sweet - London Short Film Festival screening - Institute of Contemporary Art
2021
Grayson Perry’s Art Club Exhibition (Dec 2021) - Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
WE/MAKE/DO — Bridging the generation gap (Online workshops) in partnership with Hackney Chinese Community Services
Made In Chinatown: Intangible Cultural Heritage through food practices, China Exchange London Chinatown
DRUMMER, WARRIOR, STORYTELLER - Touring screening and exhibition (collaboration with Apex Zero)
Lingua Franker — A Shiftists Group Exhibition - Hoxton 253, London
AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES
2023
Uncovering Vietnamese Archives Artist in residence, Museum of the Home
2021
Artist in residence, China Exchange (London Chinatown)
Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) Award
EDUCATION
TBC - MA Contemporary Art Practice (Royal College of Art) - deferred
2021 - Post-graduate Diploma (Royal College of Art)
2005 - BSc Business Computing Systems (City University, London) - First Class (Hons)