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Dave Willis

@davewillis

Art critic and curator (12 years experience in top galleries and magazines), and social media manager (5 years experience in gaming startups).

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I seek curatorial and writing roles that amplify Southeast Asian contemporary art, in institutions valuing research-driven exhibitions, publications, and audience development.

I am an art critic and curator from New York with over a decade of experience working in contemporary Southeast Asia, committed to amplifying Vietnamese and regional artists.

I hold an MFA in Art Criticism & Writing and a BA in Socio-Cultural Anthropology, and I combine deep research with accessible, persuasive writing for catalogs, reviews, and monographs.

In addition to my career in the art industry, I also have worked as an art director and social media marketer for two different gaming startups, proficient in all kinds of social media content creation, marketing, and AI art production.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Writer and Curator

Current

Richard Koh Fine Art

Jan 2020 - Present (5 years 11 months)

Curated multiple exhibitions and authored catalog essays and full-length monographs, including a monograph on Justin Lim and a forthcoming monograph on Natee Utarit.

Catalog Essays Research

Current

Writer and Acquisitions Advisor

Current

Anima Hotel

Advise on lobby art acquisitions and produce interpretive writing for installed works to enhance guest engagement and the hotel's cultural programming.

Curatorial Advising

Art Director & Social Media Manager

Manacaster Games

Jan 2023 - Dec 2025 (2 years 11 months)

Built an AI-driven art production stack and executed a grassroots marketing campaign that achieved 2 million social impressions in under six months.

Art Direction Social Media Marketing Campaign Strategy Creative Direction Analytics Team Management

Social Media Manager

Esports 4 Everyone

Jan 2021 - Dec 2023 (2 years 11 months)

Managed social media and led design and PR for Axie Week Grand Finals, gaining practical expertise in Web3 e-sports promotion and community engagement.

Social Media Management PR Team Leadership Event Promotion Community Engagement

Writer and Editor

Almine Rech Gallery

Jan 2019 - Dec 2020 (1 year 11 months)

Produced and edited exhibition texts, catalog essays, and interviews as a remote consultant for a blue-chip gallery network.

Proofreading Catalog Production Exhibition Texts Remote Collaboration

Curator

MoT+++

Jan 2018 - Dec 2018 (11 months)

Curated a year-long international performance series that raised public awareness of MoTplus as a leading experimental contemporary art space.

Performance Curation Program Development Event Production Public Engagement Workshop Facilitation

Acquisitions Advisor

Nguyen Art Foundation

Jan 2018 - Dec 2018 (11 months)

Advised the launch of a leading non-profit art organization and guided acquisitions ranging from war sketch archives to contemporary masterworks.

Stakeholder Engagement

Lecturer of Western Art History

Keuka College

Jan 2016 - Dec 2017 (1 year 11 months)

Designed and delivered a comprehensive Western art history curriculum for an American liberal arts program administered in Ho Chi Minh City.

Curriculum Design Art History

Executive Assistant

Pace Gallery

Jan 2015 - Dec 2015 (11 months)

Supported the gallery president in executive operations and client relations, assisting sales to high-profile collectors and managing executive needs.

Executive Support Client Relations Office Management Event Coordination