Rowena Chiu is a London-based curator, artist advisor and art consultant.
With a background in Contemporary Art Theory and Literature, Rowena began her career in the studio, assisting British photographer Nick Waplington. She went on to become curator at Flora Fairbairn Projects, where she scouted emerging artists and realised exhibitions in spaces of architectural interest.
As an independent curator, Rowena has mounted solo exhibitions for Alice Anderson, Piers Jackson, Sally Webber and Jakub Julian Ziolkowski. Her projects have been supported by Arts Council England and the Freelands Foundation.
Rowena worked for Hauser & Wirth between 2010 and 2016 and was based at locations in Zürich, London and New York during her time with the gallery. As artist liaison, she worked closely with Rita Ackermann, Mark Bradford, Martin Creed, Ellen Gallagher, Matthew Day Jackson, Rashid Johnson, Rachel Khedoori, Anri Sala, Zhang Enli, David Zink Yi and the Estates of Leon Golub and Jason Rhoades, overseeing gallery and institutional projects for her artists internationally.
In 2016, Rowena joined Martin Creed Ltd. as studio director where she oversaw ambitious solo exhibitions at Hauser & Wirth Somerset and Park Avenue Armory, New York. She went on to direct and programme UNIT9, a platform created to enable artists to experiment with projects that fell outside the focus of commercial galleries.
Between 2018 and 2020, Rowena worked at Blain Southern as artist liaison to Francesco Clemente, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Edward Kienholz, Pietro Ruffo, Yinka Shonibare, Joan Snyder, Bernar Venet and Gilberto Zorio.
Rowena was Director of Museum and Institutional Relations at Stephen Friedman Gallery between 2021 and 2025. During this time, she worked closely with artists Leilah Babirye, Jonathan Baldock, Jeffrey Gibson, Hulda Guzman, Izumi Kato, Anne Rothenstein and Yinka Shonibare on development, strategy and institutional outreach, alongside placing artworks in public and private collections.
Rowena is a trustee of Southwark Park Galleries and member of Serpentine Future Contemporaries.
With a background in Contemporary Art Theory and Literature, Rowena began her career in the studio, assisting British photographer Nick Waplington. She went on to become curator at Flora Fairbairn Projects, where she scouted emerging artists and realised exhibitions in spaces of architectural interest.
As an independent curator, Rowena has mounted solo exhibitions for Alice Anderson, Piers Jackson, Sally Webber and Jakub Julian Ziolkowski. Her projects have been supported by Arts Council England and the Freelands Foundation.
Rowena worked for Hauser & Wirth between 2010 and 2016 and was based at locations in Zürich, London and New York during her time with the gallery. As artist liaison, she worked closely with Rita Ackermann, Mark Bradford, Martin Creed, Ellen Gallagher, Matthew Day Jackson, Rashid Johnson, Rachel Khedoori, Anri Sala, Zhang Enli, David Zink Yi and the Estates of Leon Golub and Jason Rhoades, overseeing gallery and institutional projects for her artists internationally.
In 2016, Rowena joined Martin Creed Ltd. as studio director where she oversaw ambitious solo exhibitions at Hauser & Wirth Somerset and Park Avenue Armory, New York. She went on to direct and programme UNIT9, a platform created to enable artists to experiment with projects that fell outside the focus of commercial galleries.
Between 2018 and 2020, Rowena worked at Blain Southern as artist liaison to Francesco Clemente, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Edward Kienholz, Pietro Ruffo, Yinka Shonibare, Joan Snyder, Bernar Venet and Gilberto Zorio.
Rowena was Director of Museum and Institutional Relations at Stephen Friedman Gallery between 2021 and 2025. During this time, she worked closely with artists Leilah Babirye, Jonathan Baldock, Jeffrey Gibson, Hulda Guzman, Izumi Kato, Anne Rothenstein and Yinka Shonibare on development, strategy and institutional outreach, alongside placing artworks in public and private collections.
Rowena is a trustee of Southwark Park Galleries and member of Serpentine Future Contemporaries.