Karen Smith is a curator and writer focused on contemporary art practices relevant to the Chinese cultural framework. She has lived in China since 1992 and began her career as an independent practitioner. In 2012, she became the founding director of the contemporary art centre OCAT Xi’an, which she led until its closure in 2022. In 2021, Smith joined De Ying Foundation as head of academic initiatives. She currently runs the foundation’s curatorial fellowship programme.