OUR FOUNDER

Roberta Dans

Exposure for Roberta Dans in the visual arts started young, through the influence of her mother, an established master artist of still life and realism, Araceli Limcaco Dans. As a result, her natural passion and appreciation for art can be described as intuitive, leading her to open 

Artesan Gallery + Studio in Singapore, in 2005.

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In 2009, Roberta founded REAP (Residence and Exchange Art Programme)  to allow

a group of artists to converge and exchange in creative ideas. The pioneer project resulted in a published documentation of the programme in a book entitled Ruckus Rubix , together with the launch of a major exhibition of the same name at the National University of Singapore Museum.  During the same period, Dans founded another programme Art on Tour, with the purpose of encouraging the art experience and accessibility by the general public .  With an eye towards documenting works for posterity, Roberta later spearheaded the publication, and exhibition, of A Duad in Play : Francis Ng & Ronald Ventura in 2010 in collaboration with ICA Lasalle College of The Arts, shortly followed in 2012 by Semblance/Presence : Renato Habulan / Alfredo Esquillo Jr.  as co-publisher and organiser with the NUS Museum. Roberta continues to host resident artists.  In 2016, Dans was awarded The Visionary Awards for Arts & Culture, presented by the

Manila Standard, to recognize her philanthropic efforts to mentor young emerging artists from the Philippines. She also sits in the Selection Committee of an

international art fair organization in Singapore.

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With the ability to understand the artist’s imperative together with an instinctive visual awareness, Roberta has earned for herself professional notoriety in staging stunning and exceptional projects and exhibitions in Artesan’s fifteen year history. She has contunually organised major shows both in Singapore and internationally, curating notable and collaborative exhibitions with reputable institutions. Most recently, Dans organized and curated two shows at Palazzo Mora, in Venice, Italy, as part of Personal Structures, as organised by the Global Art Affairs Foundation, entitled Clipping The Wings of Angels by Eliezer John Cabangon, and an installation entitled Pugad by Raffy Napay, during the 57th Venice Biennale 2017.  In 2019, Roberta returned to the Palazzo Mora to spearhead a project to exhibit four individual shows by Southeast Asian artists during the 58th Venice Biennale: Iggy Rodriguez, Raffy Napay, Jon Jaylo and Olga Polunin with special collaboration with the European Cultural Centre and Global Art Affairs Foundation. 350,000 art lovers visited the palazzo.

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Roberta is married, has four children, and divides her time between

Singapore, the Philippines and France.