Chinese collector and philanthropist Yan Du will open Yan Du Projects (YDP), a new nonprofit art space in London’s Bloomsbury district this October. Housed in a Grade I-listed 18th-century Georgian townhouse on Bedford Square, YDP will host site-specific commissions, exhibitions, artist residencies, and public events focused on artists from Asian backgrounds. The opening show features Chinese painter Duan Jianyu, and the first artist-in-residence is Bangkok-based Harit Srikhao. Hong Kong-based BEAU Architects designed a modular "suitcase project" interior to respect the building’s listed status.
This matters because YDP fills a gap in London’s nonprofit scene by providing a dedicated platform for Asian and diasporic artists, fostering what Du calls "transcultural dialogues." The space’s flexible, artist-led programming and its emphasis on risk-taking and nomadic identity reflect a growing trend of private collectors establishing alternative institutions to support underrepresented voices. Du’s previous nonprofit, Asymmetry (founded 2019), further signals a sustained commitment to promoting Chinese and Sinophone curatorial practice in the UK.