Pauline J. Yao is a Chinese‑art curator and writer, currently working as an independent curator. Previously she served as Lead Curator of Visual Art at M+ Hong Kong’s museum for 20th‑ and 21st‑century visual culture. She holds an M.A. in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from University of Chicago. Earlier in her career she was Assistant Curator of Chinese Art at Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. In 2006 she moved to Beijing on a Fulbright grant. There she co‑founded Arrow Factory, an artist‑run alternative art space that operated until 2019. In recognition of her critical writing, she was awarded the inaugural Chinese Contemporary Art Award (Art Critic Award) in 2007. As curator at M+, Yao played a central role in building the museum’s visual art collection, acquiring works from across Asia and beyond, encompassing painting, sculpture, video, installation, design, architecture and moving image. She curated major exhibitions, including the inaugural exhibition Individuals, Networks, Expressions, as well as shows at the M+ Pavilion such as In Search of Southeast Asia through the M+ Collections and Five Artists: Sites Encountered. In addition to curatorial work, Yao is a prolific writer, contributing regularly to periodicals such as Artforum International, e‑flux Journal, and Yishu Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art. Among her publications: the book In Production Mode: Contemporary Art in China (2008) and co‑editor of 3 Years: Arrow Factory (2011).