Ho Tam: The Yellow Pages

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Ho Tam, "‘P’ from The Yellow Pages (set of 26 images)," 2021

image courtesy of the artist.

The New Gallery presents The Yellow Pages, an exhibition by Ho Tam, in our Main Space storefront windows.

The Yellow Pages looks at the relationship between image and text in a playful and satirical manner. Divided into 26 chapters and arranged from A to Z, the work roams through the past and present of the pan-Asian experience within North America and beyond. The series covers many topics from whitening beauty products, internment camps, and transgender performers, to the democratic movement in Hong Kong. Simple yet complex, The Yellow Pages seeks to compel viewers in multiple ways, never allowing for one single reading.

Biography

Ho Tam was born in Hong Kong, educated in Canada and the U.S. and worked in advertising and community psychiatric care before turning to art. He practices in multiple disciplines including photography, video, painting, and print media. Tam has made over 20 experimental videos and films. His work has been exhibited internationally, including the traveling exhibition Magnetic North: Canadian Experimental Video organized by Walker Art Center (Minneapolis, US). His feature documentary film Books of James was awarded Outstanding Artistic Achievement by Outfest, and Best Feature Documentary by the 2008 Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival. From 2004 to 2010, he also taught full time at the University of Victoria, BC. Since the 2010s, Tam has been focusing on independent publishing of artist books and zines, and currently he manages a bookshop/gallery in Vancouver, BC.