Duffy Fan Du is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Mandarin Express. From 2015 to 2021, she worked at MADA s.p.a.m, de Sarthe Gallery, Beijing, and the exhibitions department at UCCA Center for Contemporary Art. Du is interested in how poetic stream-of-conscious texts and ethnographical imagery can be applied as methodologies within the narrative of contemporary art. She seeks to interact in-depth with artists’ personal narratives across a linear timeline. In 2019, her curation was featured in OCAT Institute Beijing’s “Researched-based Curatorial Project: Shortlist Exhibition.” Her Chinese writing has been published on platforms such as VOGUE, AD, Artforum, Ocula, and ARTBBS. She was a curator-in-residency at Residency Unlimited in 2023.

As Director of Communications at Mandarin Express, Kaiyun oversees the organization’s overall communication strategy, encompassing branding, media outreach, and digital content. She holds an MA in Media, Culture, and Communication from New York University and a BA in Art History from McGill University. Previously, she served as Senior Exhibition Coordinator at UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, where she managed major exhibitions–several of which became among the most visited in the institution’s history. Outside of work, she finds calm in crocheting and nurtures a deep love for Broadway theater.

Ella Xuyang Ma is the Director of Development at Mandarin Express and the Secretary of its board. She holds an MA in Arts Administration from Columbia University and a BA in Cinema and Digital Media from the University of California, Davis. Previously, Ella gained experience in social media strategy and event coordination through her work at Onishi Gallery and Hollywood Pal. At Mandarin Express, she leads the organization’s fundraising initiatives, drawing on her background in marketing and communications. In her spare time, Ella enjoys exploring digital media creation, animation, and NFTs.