Joanne Hampstead was born in Hendon, England. At age two, her family moved back to theirhomeland of Guyana where she spent her early childhood. Joanne considers this foundation tobe the core of who she is…earthy, grounded, family oriented, cultural and uncomplicated. Butthe more nuanced attributes of her personality - fearless, big and bold was fundamentallycreated in America and can be seen in the way she approaches the subjects in her work.Ms. Lam’s pieces are usually based on women of color. The subject’s powerful emotions andwarmth and vibrancy of their skin is usually Joanne’s signature. The artist’s aim is to give theaudience a visceral experience of power and beauty. Each subject reflecting a distinctexpression of how they approach life/their audience. The authentic nature of people of color iswhat drives Ms. Lam’s work.
This Artist, Curator, Finance Director and mother of 4 has been creating/ curating / managingfor the majority of her life. The following is Ms. Lam’s statement of her intention in her artcareer:
“Art is my calling . Not only through my creations, but to help cultivate an art culture thatvalidates diverse cultures. That no one can represent and illustrate your experience – but YOU.Not only through raising the bar of excellence for cultural and ‘ethnic’ representation in theart world but through education and creating platforms for our community to acknowledge ,value, and promote art back into the collective consciousness from whence we came.We cannot look to the outside to value what can only come from within.”