No one has done more to drive the documentation and appreciation of art history in Asia than Claire Hsu. The co-founder, co-chair and former executive director of the Asia Art Archive, she has put together one of the world’s leading collections of art resources, after being stung by the realisation that most museums in Asia didn’t keep archives, and that numerous valuable documents were being lost as a result. She established AAA in 2000 when still in her mid-20s, running the organisation as its executive director for the next 21 years before handing off the role to Christopher K Ho in 2021. She is now co-chair of AAA alongside Benjamin Cha.

The AAA features the largest library of art books on the continent, as well as numerous artists’ and academics’ sketchbooks, notebooks, photographs, exhibition catalogues and more, all of which are freely accessible to the public at the archive’s locations in Hong Kong, New York and New Delhi, or via its website. It also organises educational programming, from talks to residencies for artists and other arts professionals.

Named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, Claire Hsu is married to DFS Group chairman and CEO Benjamin Vuchot, with whom she has three daughters.

(Photo: Amanda Kho)