HONG KONG.- Adrian Cheng, Founder and Honorary Chairman of the K11 Art Foundation has been awarded the distinction Officier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, a prestigious award that recognises leading figures in the arts who have made a significant contribution to French culture. This order is given as a symbol of recognition of Cheng’s significant contribution to, and promotion of, French art and culture in China, as well as his role in the advancement of cultural exchange between the two countries. Cheng is the youngest person in Hong Kong to receive such honour from the French government since the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres was created in 1957 and has been placed directly at the ranking of Officier having skipped the tier of Chevalier.

This award aligns Cheng with other noteworthy art world figures that have received this order, such as Whitechapel Art Gallery director Iwona Blazwick, and artists Anish Kapoor, Olafur Eliasson and Nan Goldin.

Adrian Cheng said: “The cultural collaborations formed by the K11 Art Foundation with leading institutions such as Centre Pompidou, Palais de Tokyo and Claude Monet Foundation have allowed French audiences to deepen their understanding of contemporary Chinese art and to expand international opportunities for outstanding Chinese contemporary artists and curators. I am proud to have been nominated for this Officier, officially recognised by the French state, which encourages me to continue pursuing and strengthening the cross cultural dialogues between our two countries”

K11 expansion plans
Adrian Cheng, who was recently ranked number 46 on the Art Review 2017 Power 100 list, also announces his ambitious plans to expand K11 to 9 cities across China by 2023; bringing education, imagination and inspiration, within a retail environment, to a new generation of consumers in Asia. His ultimate goal is to increase dialogue and engagement between art and the public, having championed the world’s first ‘museum-retail’ concept in the form of K11 Art Malls, which have locations in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Wuhan, showcasing Cheng’s intuitive ability to seamlessly blend art and commerce as well as providing a global platform for Chinese artists and curators.