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2C1A5085 1 (1)-min
About us - two women smiling facing camera

About

The Sovereign Art Foundation was established in 2003 by Howard Bilton and Tiffany Pinkstone, who shared a vision of promoting contemporary Asian art in Hong Kong. By launching The Sovereign Asian Art Prize, they recognised an opportunity not only to celebrate artists, but to raise funds for programmes that use art to make a difference.

Howard Bilton image
Founder and Chairman

Howard Bilton

Howard Bilton is Founder and Chairman of The Sovereign Art Foundation. A Yorkshireman and art collector, Howard established the Foundation in 2003 with the goal of using art to raise money and make a difference to the lives of vulnerable children.

To achieve this, he decided to launch an art prize, developing a unique model that promotes contemporary Asian art to the public in Hong Kong while raising funds through art auctions. Howard understood that to be successful in this mission, he would need to produce a world class art prize that attracts the very best artists, with a substantial prize fund and an international platform, and so The Sovereign Asian Art Prize was born. Howard is Chairman of The Sovereign Group, one of the world’s largest privately-owned consultancies specialising in the provision of bespoke services to companies, trusts and individuals. He holds a joint honours degree in classics and law from the University of Keele, is qualified as a Barrister and called to the Bars of England/Wales and Gibraltar. He is a visiting non-resident professor at Texas A and M University where he assists with LLM and Master’s degrees in International Tax and Offshore Centres. He is a regular contributor of articles to numerous newspapers and technical news wires.

Howard is also the Founder and Chairman of Howard’s Folly Wines, Portugal. Their wine labels often feature artwork by finalists of The Prize, or by the young beneficiaries of the Foundation’s programmes, and a portion of Howard’s Folly’s revenue is donated to the charity.

Tiffany Pinkstone image
Co-Founder and Director

Tiffany Pinkstone

Tiffany Pinkstone is Co-Founder and Director of The Sovereign Art Foundation, having joined Howard to assist with the launch the Foundation and its flagship fundraising project, The Sovereign Asian Art Prize, in 2003.

After ten years of successfully developing The Prize and raising substantial funds for art-led missions supporting children across Asia, Tiffany decided to help The Foundation establish its own initiative closer to home. This led to the launch of Make It Better, a programme that provides process-led, expressive arts workshops for children living in some of Hong Kong’s most disadvantaged communities. Under Tiffany’s stewardship, and with the support of advisors from The University of Hong Kong’s Centre on Behavioral Health, Make It Better has grown from a small grassroots project to a substantial programme that provides support and engagement to nearly 200 children, caregivers, and social workers every week across Hong Kong. Through Make It Better, the Foundation employs its own in-house team of professional, registered Art Therapists and facilitators.

Tiffany is also Director of The Sovereign Group’s Hong Kong office and leads Marketing for the Group worldwide.

Our Team

Board of Trustees
Executive Directors
Global Staff
Angela Mackay image
Angela Mackay
Managing Director Asia Pacific and Global Publisher FT Live at Financial Times
Angela Mackay image

Angela Mackay

Managing Director Asia Pacific and Global Publisher FT Live at Financial Times
David Legg image
David Legg
Chairman, Elements Advisors
David Legg image

David Legg

Chairman, Elements Advisors
Levina Li-Cadman image
Levina Li-Cadman
Co-Founder of art-partners
Levina Li-Cadman image

Levina Li-Cadman

Co-Founder of art-partners
Peter Siembab image
Peter Siembab
Managing Director, Legal, Bank of America
Peter Siembab image

Peter Siembab

Managing Director, Legal, Bank of America
Priscilla Kong image
Priscilla Kong
Arts Strategist, Founder of Pistachio Kernel
Priscilla Kong image

Priscilla Kong

Arts Strategist, Founder of Pistachio Kernel
Sara Mao image
Sara Mao
Director & Auctioneer, Christie’s Education Asia Pacific
Sara Mao image

Sara Mao

Director & Auctioneer, Christie’s Education Asia Pacific
Tony Tyler image
Tony Tyler
Former Director General & CEO at International Air Transport Association (IATA)
Tony Tyler image

Tony Tyler

Former Director General & CEO at International Air Transport Association (IATA)
Esther Heer-Zacek image
Esther Heer-Zacek
Member Emeriti, Foundation Board, Asia Society
Esther Heer-Zacek image

Esther Heer-Zacek

Member Emeriti, Foundation Board, Asia Society
Howard Bilton image
Howard Bilton
Founder and Chairman  
Howard Bilton image

Howard Bilton

Founder and Chairman  

Howard Bilton is Chairman and founder of The Sovereign Group. Howard holds a joint honours BA degree in classics and law from the University of Keele and is qualified as a Barrister and called to the Bars of England/Wales and Gibraltar.  

He is a visiting non-resident professor at Texas A and M University where he assists with their LLM and Masters degrees in International Tax and Offshore Centres.  

In 2003 he formed The Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF) which runs a range of art prizes designed to increase the exposure of artists in the region, while raising money to help disadvantaged children.  

SAF has raised over US$11 million which has been used to help thousands of disadvantaged children using expressive arts as a means of education and rehabilitation.  

Howard has a personal art collection comprising around 420 pieces made by a wide range of artists from students to internationally famous artists.   

He has acted as a judge on various Sovereign sponsored art prizes in Hong Kong, Bahrain, Gibraltar, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, London, Malta, Mauritius, Portugal and Singapore.  He has also acted as a nominator for the Sovereign professional prizes in Africa and Portugal. 

Howard is the Founder and Chairman of Howard’s Folly Wines, Portugal. All wines use art on the labels and often feature work by finalists of the various Sovereign art prizes or children taught by SAF. A proportion of the revenue from wine sales goes to support SAF. 

 

Tiffany Pinkstone image
Tiffany Pinkstone
Co-Founder and Director
Tiffany Pinkstone image

Tiffany Pinkstone

Co-Founder and Director
Amy Cadman image
Amy Cadman
Director
Amy Cadman image

Amy Cadman

Director
Amy Cadman image
Amy Cadman
Director
Amy Cadman image

Amy Cadman

Director
Charles Chan image
Charles Chan
Expressive Arts Therapist
Charles Chan image

Charles Chan

Expressive Arts Therapist

Charles Chan is a passionate Registered Arts (Expressive Arts) Therapist. With a firm belief in the power of arts to heal and transform, he has been serving underprivileged families and Special Educational Needs (SEN) children in mainstream schools through the Make it Better programme.

His journey in Expressive Arts Therapy began with the realization that art has the potential to be more grounded, less judgmental, and profoundly meaningful for individuals from all walks of life. He is committed to introducing and applying Expressive Arts Therapy to those in need in our society.

In his practice, he has witnessed the transformative power of art therapy firsthand. Not only do beneficiaries gain invaluable insights and personal growth through the creative process, but as a therapist, he has also learned immensely from their imagination and creativity. It is a truly reciprocal experience that fosters a supportive and trusted relationship.

He strongly believes that therapy should not only be insightful but also enjoyable. When working with Charles, beneficiaries will encounter moments of fun, excitement, and challenge as they navigate the therapeutic process.

Christina Lum image
Christina Lum
Senior Art Facilitator
Christina Lum image

Christina Lum

Senior Art Facilitator

Christina Lum is a dedicated professional who has been serving as an Art Facilitator for the Make It Better Expressive Arts Programme at The Sovereign Art Foundation since August 2017. Her primary role is to facilitate expressive arts workshops that aim to promote the holistic development of underprivileged kindergarten and primary children with diverse educational needs.

To better understand her beneficiaries with different backgrounds, she completed the Diploma of Special Educational Needs in 2022 with distinction, enriching her knowledge and strategies for supporting the groups she serves. In September 2023, Christina took a significant step in her professional development by enrolling in the Master of Expressive Arts Therapy programme at The University of Hong Kong. Her aspiration is to promote psychological wellness and facilitate personal growth for individuals of all ages with multiple expressive arts interventions in the future.

Debbie Hung image
Debbie Hung
Coordinator
Debbie Hung image

Debbie Hung

Coordinator
Eliette Rosich image
Eliette Rosich
Portugese Art Prize Manager
Eliette Rosich image

Eliette Rosich

Portugese Art Prize Manager
Georgina Angus image
Georgina Angus
Sovereign Art Prize Manager
Georgina Angus image

Georgina Angus

Sovereign Art Prize Manager
Hermione Riches-Wohlrab image
Hermione Riches-Wohlrab
Marketing and Events Executive
Hermione Riches-Wohlrab image

Hermione Riches-Wohlrab

Marketing and Events Executive
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Joanne Bae
Graphic Designer
Joanne Bae image

Joanne Bae

Graphic Designer
Mimi Tung image
Mimi Tung
Head of Programmes
Mimi Tung image

Mimi Tung

Head of Programmes

Mimi Tung is a highly accomplished USA Board Certified Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC) and Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT). She holds a Master’s Degree from Notre Dame de Namur University (California) and previously worked at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Stanford.

With over a decade of experience, Mimi has worked with a wide variety of people both individually and in group therapy. Her clients have ranged from toddlers to elders, all of whom have varying degrees of mental challenges. She addresses a range of issues including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, psychosis, bipolar and self-destructive behaviors. Her practice skillfully combines multimodal arts like visual arts, clay, photography, writing, digital art, and sand-play. She has frequently worked with schools and hospitals and uses both Western and Eastern art influences in her practice.

As an educator, Mimi taught as guest lecturer at renowned institutions like the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the University of Hong Kong and the Central Academy of Fine Arts Beijing. She zealously conducts trainings for various organizations and offers supervision to prospective registered therapists, supporting the next generation in the field. She was the former President of the Hong Kong Association of Art Therapists.

Mimi has authored publications on art therapy and her work has been featured in columns and publications. She presents regularly at international conferences, highlighting her expertise in art therapy.

Yoyo Yu image
Yoyo Yu
Administrative Assistant
Yoyo Yu image

Yoyo Yu

Administrative Assistant

Yoyo is a graduate from the Academy of Visual Arts at Hong Kong Baptist University and joined The Sovereign Art Foundation team in 2023. With a passion for art, she finds inspiration working alongside therapists. Yoyo’s artistic pursuits extend to ceramics and metalsmithing, where she indulges her creativity. Her diverse skills and dedication contribute to the Foundation’s mission of enhancing the educational and personal development of children and caregivers through the medium of art. Yoyo’s unique artistic journey and commitment to making a difference make her a valuable member of our team.

Our Patrons

Silver Patrons

Esther Maria Heer-Zacek
Nicole Schoeni
Levina Li
Paul Cadman

Albert Cho
Angela Mackay
Espen Larsen
Magnus McGlashan
Sara Mao
Susie Rippingall

Peter and Ana Siembab
Priscilla Kong
Rob Schlipper and Claire Young
Tom and Chai Hall
Tony and Charlotte Tyler

Corporate Patrons

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Aaharn by David Thomson
Hong Kong fine-dining destination Aaharn is a world-class exploration of Thai cuisine, with a menu inspired by internationally celebrated chef David Thompson. Aaharn was awarded one Michelin star in the 2020 Hong Kong & Macau Michelin Guide and has retained this since.
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Gibson Dunn
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Hong Kong office provides an extensive range of U.S., Hong Kong, and English legal advice to global and Asia-based clients, offering clients all the advantages of deep local expertise combined with the strengths of a global firm.
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HKR International
HKR International (HKRI) strives to create a healthy, stylish, and distinctive living experience through teamwork and an unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence. HKRI has diversified interests and ongoing projects in real estate development and investment, property management, luxury hotels and serviced apartments, and other investments in Hong Kong, mainland China and many other key Asian cities.
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Leeson Media
Craig Leeson is an award-winning filmmaker, explorer, television presenter, sustainability consultant and digital entrepreneur. He is the 2022 Australian Of The Year (Tas). He is the director/writer/narrator of landmark global documentary A Plastic Ocean.
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LRC Charitable Foundation
The LRC Charitable Foundation Limited (LRCCF) intends to interact with the wider Hong Kong community and makes grants to local charities and non-governmental organisations to positively impact the social, economic, educational, cultural and overall well-being of our community.
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Oolaa
Oolaa launched in 2009 with Oolaa Soho, their first all-day drinks and dining destination. Since then, they’ve expanded to four locations across Hong Kong: Oolaa Tseung Kwan O, Tung Chung, Star Street and their newest location, Central, which has taken over as our flagship location.
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