Miwako Tezuka

Director, Dib Bangkok

Industry : The Arts

Miwako Tezuka sets an ambitious benchmark for Dib Bangkok: she wants it to become the kind of institution that shapes a city’s cultural identity, much as MoMA has done for New York or Tate for London. As Director, Tezuka sees an opportunity to strengthen the infrastructure supporting artists, curators, collectors and audiences. The aim is not simply to present international art in Bangkok, but to give Thai and regional artists greater visibility and a stronger platform for exchange. Her academic grounding — a BA and PhD in Art History, from New York University and Columbia University respectively — complements a career spanning nonprofit museums, artist foundations, and a diverse range of independent curatorial projects, including solo and group exhibitions as well as a large-scale biennial.

International ambition does not mean imposing an imported model on Bangkok. Dib’s role is to connect Thailand and Southeast Asia with the wider art world while remaining closely engaged with the local scene. Accessibility is central to Tezuka’s vision. She wants Dib to function as a serious institution without feeling exclusive: a place for collectors and specialists, but also for students, young audiences and those encountering contemporary art for the first time. If Dib can become both Bangkok’s international art platform and a place its residents feel belongs to them, it could reshape not only how the art world sees Thailand, but how Bangkok sees itself.