Evelyn Lin is returning to Sotheby’s as chairman of Modern and contemporary art, Asia, starting November 3, after a one-year stint at Pace gallery. She will help lead the inaugural marquee sale at Sotheby’s new global headquarters in New York’s Breuer Building. The appointment follows the departure of Elaine Holt and the closure of Pace’s Hong Kong space, which will not renew its lease at H Queen’s after its current exhibition closes on October 18.
Lin’s return matters because she is a veteran auction-house rainmaker with over 25 years in the art trade, having helped establish Sotheby’s Chinese contemporary art department in 2004 and brokered major records like Zeng Fanzhi’s The Last Supper ($23 million). Her move signals Sotheby’s continued investment in the Asian market amid shifting gallery strategies, as Pace exits its Hong Kong space while keeping offices in the region. Lin’s dual experience in primary and secondary markets positions her to bridge artist and collector engagement in Asia.