Curating Grief by Charlene Lam
We Are All Curators
After a Loved One Dies
Curating Grief® is changing the culture of grief support, with art and design.
Curating Grief at SCAD is a proposed 15-month pilot in Savannah, Georgia, that brings this vision to life.
With the support of the Feinglos Fund and nonprofit partner PAUSE, we propose bringing Curating Grief® and The Grief Gallery® to the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) for a dynamic and community-focused grief, arts, and design project.
INTRODUCTION
Why Curate Grief?
Curating Grief is a creative, accessible way to explore grief and loss, through the objects — and the stories attached to them. In this 5min video, artist and grief coach Charlene Lam explains how.
hi!
I’m Charlene
After my mother died suddenly in 2013, I found myself drowning in grief … and her belongings.
It’s a common problem: Feeling overwhelmed, stuck and unable to move forward after the death of a loved one. My uncommon solution: Curating an exhibition about my mother!
Now I help other people with their grief and experiences of loss, using the lens of curating.
As curator of The Grief Gallery™, I present international exhibitions featuring the belongings of loved ones lost.
As a certified grief coach, I use my Curating Grief framework to help grieving individuals navigate loss in a creative, accessible way.
(And you don’t need to be an artist or creative, or to even have any physical objects, to curate!)
THE BOOK | THE GRIEF GALLERY | Hello@CharleneLam.com
ABOUT THE FEINGLOS FUND
The Feinglos Fund is dedicated to North Carolina-based and nationwide grantmaking that empowers women and girls, advances educational opportunities, strengthens democracy, and expands access to grief support.
ABOUT PAUSE (NONPROFIT PARTNER)
PAUSE is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting people of color through grief and end of life with safe, culturally-sensitive, and expert-informed resources.
The Grief Gallery: Timeline and Select Projects
Charlene’s mother dies in 2013
2015: First exhibition with the belongings in London, UK
2024: – The Short Film, Curating Grief: Loss and Objects
2022: London Design Festival Pop-Up in a community garden
2022: The Grief Gallery exhibition at DesignTO festival, part of a design residency
2024: The book Curating Grief: A Creative Guide to Choosing What to Keep After a Loved One Dies
For Organizations: Work With Me
Book Me To Speak
I love speaking about grief, from death-related loss to life's many transitions.
Visit my Speaker Page, book a call, or contact me at hello@charlenelam.com to learn more.
Commission an Installation of The Grief Gallery
Would you like to host or commission The Grief Gallery for your event or community?
Email me at hello@charlenelam.com
or book a call to discuss your idea.
WHY OBJECTS?
Meaningful Objects and Grief
The belongings and physical objects can teach us a lot about grief — and be a starting point for healing and connection.
THE FILM
Curating Grief: Loss and Objects
A short film about Curating Grief by London-based filmmkaer Jamie Max Lee, shot on location in Lisbon.
Watch TEDx Talk
“What Grief and Soy Sauce Taught Me About Life After Loss” delivered at TEDxLisboa now has over 20,000 views!
Charlene Lam
I help grieving people to feel lighter and less burdened after losing a loved one, using the lens of curating and the tools of coaching.
Curating Grief® A creative and compassionate approach to engaging with loss.
Part of the Curating Grief® ecosystem. Visit The Grief Gallery® for community and creative witnessing. Visit CharleneLam.com for expert grief support.
hello@charlenelam.com
New York, NY | Lisbon, Portugal
hello@charlenelam.com
Copyright © 2025 Charlene Lam. Curating Grief ™ and The Grief Gallery ™. All Rights Reserved | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy