WELCOME

The Grief Gallery

GRIEF AND LOSS EXPLORED THROUGH ART AND DESIGN

CURATOR, CHARLENE LAM

FEATURED EXHIBITION

Red Ribbon Dance

A classic Chinese dance form, the red ribbon dance has layers of meaning for me and my mom. Here’s why I dance in her memory.

PUTTING THE SPOTLIGHT ON

The Belongings of Loved Ones Lost

CURATED BY CHARLENE LAM

JOIN US AT

The Grief Gallery

The Grief Gallery presents exhibitions, installations and events featuring the belongings of loved ones lost during international design festivals, including NYCxDESIGN, the London Design Festival and DesignTO (Toronto).

After independent curator Charlene Lam lost her mother suddenly in 2013, she leaned into her creativity and curatorial instincts to guide herself through grief. Faced with the impossible task of emptying out her mother’s dream house, she asked herself:

“If I was to curate an exhibition about my mother, which 100 objects would I choose?”

That question — “If I was to curate an exhibition about my mother, which 100 objects would I choose?” — was the key to making progress with her mom’s belongings, moving through her grief and moving forward with her own life. It was also the seed for The Grief Gallery, with the first exhibition incorporating her mom’s belongings taking place in London in 2015.

In the years since, through The Grief Gallery, her work as a certified grief coach and her Curating Grief framework, she spotlights the objects left behind after a loved one dies as a powerful source of connection, awareness and healing. 

This is The Grief Gallery’s core belief:

We are ALL curators after a loved one dies.

JOIN US LIVE

The Grief Gallery monthly gathering

Last Wednesday of every month at 2pm ET (NYC) / 7pm UK time

Upcoming gatherings: Sept 25th, Oct 30th, Nov 27th

Part of the Reimagine End of Life Event Calendar

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Upcoming Events

GRIEF WALKS

Grief walks have taken place in Chinatown, Manhattan and London, England. In the works: Lisbon, Portugal. Interested in participating? Email hello@charlenelam.com or sign up for the newsletter for updates.

Free Monthly Grief Gathering, Wed July 31st

Join The Grief Gallery’s free monthly grief gathering, on Zoom the last Wednesday of every month at 2pm ET.

GRIEF COACHING

Do you need help?

Need help with grief, or know someone who does?

WORK WITH ME

Curating Grief

It's a common problem:

How do you choose what to keep after a loved one dies?

PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS 

Curating Grief Pop-Up

Part of London Design Festival, Sept 2022

The Grief Gallery hits the streets of East London with a traveling plinth.

Red Ribbon Dance

A classic Chinese dance form, the red ribbon dance has layers of meaning for me and my mom. Here's why I dance in her memory.

She Was Asian American

Part of NYCxDESIGN, May 2022

Featuring photographs, belongings and stories of Asian American women, including the curator’s Chinese-American mother and other family members

The Grief Gallery at DesignTO

Part of the DesignTO Festival in Toronto, Canada, January 2022

During Toronto’s annual design festival, The Grief Gallery welcomed visitors to acknowledge personal and collective losses through the contemplation and celebration of objects: the belongings of loved ones lost. 

WHAT THE CAMERA CAPTURES

Part of NYCxDESIGN, November 2021

An online exhibition exploring the role of the camera in processing grief and loss during New York City's annual design festival. Three New York creatives who have lost loved ones share their photography-based projects.

The Grief Gallery: Created & Commissioned

Part of the London Design Festival and Shoreditch Design Triangle, September 2021

Visitors are invited to explore these universal themes through creative work commissioned in memory of loved ones.

This Is How We Remember

The belongings of loved ones lost are captured in a series of illustrations by Brooklyn-based painter and designer Yeesan Loh.

ABOUT

Why a grief gallery? Learn More

The Grief Gallery was founded by curator and grief coach Charlene Lam.

Interested in learning more about grief coaching? Get in touch to book a complimentary call.

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CONTACT

hello@thegriefgallery.com

EVENTS

Join us for The Grief Gallery's monthly grief gathering the last Wednesday of the month.

More grief events from Charlene and The Grief Gallery

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