Marleen

Marleen Molenaar is an established art advisor with a professional presence in Hong Kong, Rotterdam, and New York. With over 30 years of experience spanning art, fashion, and design, Marleen is renowned for her expertise, cultural insight, and commitment to fostering creativity. Throughout her career, Marleen has been an avid collector of contemporary art, starting with Chinese contemporary works in the 1990s and later expanding her focus to Japanese and Western contemporary art. Her passion for collecting has always run parallel to her professional work, seamlessly complementing her role as an art advisor.

Marleen’s career began in fashion, where she worked closely with designers to bring their concepts to life. She specialised in fabric research, sourcing innovative materials, and coordinating designs to ensure products aligned with both creative visions and market demands. These skills, coupled with her keen eye for quality and detail, provided a solid foundation for her work in the art world.

Alongside her collecting, Marleen expanded her focus to advising collectors and working with emerging artists. She played an active role in organising exhibitions and introducing new talent to the market. In Hong Kong, she founded 380 DES VOEUX, a public art space dedicated to exhibitions and artist support, fostering a vibrant creative community. She also established an artist agency to promote career growth for emerging artists.

In 2015, Marleen joined the Tate’s Asia Pacific Acquisition Committee, further amplifying her impact within the global art market. Today, she advises collectors worldwide, combining her market expertise, cultural insight, and design acumen. Marleen holds an MA in Liberal Arts from the University of Amsterdam and studied Textural Arts at the Academy of Art.