Frieze 91 Member Spotlight: Judy Zhou
Judy is passionate about art, people, and philanthropy — and the ways in which they're interwoven. Having studied art history alongside her primary degrees in finance and biology at Penn, she's especially passionate about bridging and enabling conversation between contemporary art with Old Masters and historical art. Judy also loves connecting younger generations to art, collecting, and institutions, and vice versa. She devotes herself to supporting causes she cares about, including the National Gallery, the World Monuments Fund, the Neue Galerie, and the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation. Judy balances her personal passions with her day job in finance, across investment banking and investing.
1. Describe yourself in three words?
Passionate, resourceful, thoughtful
2. What’s your proudest moment?
Most recently, it was finally reaching my one-year streak on Duolingo.
3. Art icon?
Ah that's a tough choice, but I would have to go back to my original art history loves — Michelangelo and Rembrandt.
4. Hidden gem in your city?
Softside ice cream bar in Nolita. They serve the most divine soft-serve drizzled with olive oil, honey, and sea salt.
5. Favourite restaurant?
This changes depending on the day, but I've recently been loving Endo Kazutoshi's latest restaurant — Kioku by Endo, which opened last year at the OWO in London. I love all of Endo's restaurants, but this one feels especially personal and intimate ("Kioku" means memory). It's a superb East-meets-West concept with amazing views also.
6. Song you can listen to on repeat?
This also always changes. Currently, it's The Prayer by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, on Andrea's new Duets album. Two of my favourite voices and personalities in harmony.
7. Exhibition you’re excited to see (or have seen)?
Without a doubt, Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300-1350. Not only is it visually stunning and art-historically significant, it was also so special to see many pieces displayed together for the first time or first time in living memory. I am so excited for it to travel to the National Gallery in London next.
8. A skill you’re working on mastering?
Finishing one book before starting another. I always have too many going at once.
9. A memorable place?
Either my grandparents' house or anywhere in the Swiss Alps, especially Sankt Moritz. So many fond and fun memories. I adore being in the mountains during any season, and all the associated activities — skiing, hiking, mountain biking, eating fondue...
10. Favourite museum?
It's so hard to choose just one... I'd say my top 2 are the Wallace Collection and Voorlinden.
The Wallace Collection because I could just stay there for ages and be perfectly content — it's so many of my favourite things all in one place. Their recent Flora Yuknovich/François Boucher exhibition really cemented that.
Voorlinden because it epitomizes what I think a private museum should be. You can really feel Joop's touch on everything (plus it's such a treat to hear him talk about it) and it's truly a harmonious blend of art, nature/gardens, and architecture.
11. Artist you’re currently thinking about?
Ah there's way too many! Ted Pim, a wonderful human whose works never fail to leave me in awe. Natalia González Martín, particularly after seeing her recent solo with Hannah Barry — such a talent. Connor Addison, incredible large-scale cubist-surrealist works with such depth and immersion. Anna Blom, especially loved seeing some of her works during the Terra monumental exhibition in Burgundy.
Also thinking about so many surrealists — Magritte, Leonora Carrington, Leonor Fini, etc. Also, Kate Malone and Tia-Thuy Nguyen.
