Profile | ‘My hands are always dirty’: actress Karena Lam on her new pottery obsession, women in film, and why she won’t sing professionally again

Four years ago, actress Karena Lam started playing with clay – and it ignited a passion for a new form of art that has reshaped her creative identity

The Hong Kong International Film Festival ambassador talks to the Post about embracing failure as a result of it, amplifying women’s voices in film, and more

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How Taiwanese-Canadian actress Karena Lam stays curious as an artist and a mother

Winnie Chung

Published: 7:15am, 21 Mar 2024Updated: 9:02am, 13 Apr 2024

The coronavirus pandemic compelled many of us to embark on journeys of self-discovery and introspection. It led some of us to explore untapped passions, rekindle forgotten dreams and unearth hidden talents.

For Taiwanese-Canadian actress Karena Lam Ka-yan, the past four years have seen her get deep into a new form of art that has reshaped her creative identity – pottery.

“My hands are always dirty and I’m always in the studio,” she says with a laugh when we meet at the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.

“During the pandemic, everything just stopped. I felt like when I wasn’t satisfied with the screenplays, when films couldn’t satisfy me creatively, I discovered pottery. So I’ve been really obsessed with it for the past four years.”

Lam was immediately smitten by the malleable yet immutable quality of clay when she began playing with it. Photo: Facebook/@Karena Lam

The Hong Kong International Film Festival ambassador’s love affair with ceramics began when, because of Covid-19, she decided to drive her two daughters to their pottery class instead of having them take public transport.

While waiting for their two-hour class to end, she started playing with clay at the studio and was immediately smitten by the malleable yet immutable quality of the material.