University of Pennsylvania Professor Kenneth Lum, chair of the Fine Arts Department in the School of Design, has been named an Officer in the Order of Canada, one of the highest Canadian civilian honors.

Lum was recognized for “his contributions as contemporary artist whose work has been exhibited around the world and for his mentorship of emerging artists,” according to the announcement made by Governor General Julie Payette.

“Of course, it is an honor to be recognized by my country of origin, but I am proud to be here in the United States working at Penn,” said Lum, who was born in Vancouver.

Lum joined the PennDesign faculty in 2012. Previously he was a professor of art at Bard College from 2005 to 2007 and at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver from 1990 to 2006, where he was also the head of the graduate program in studio art.

Lum is known for his conceptual and representational art in a number of media, including painting, sculpture and photography. His art has been exhibited in countries throughout the world. He has realized permanent public art commissions for several cities, including Vienna, Vancouver, Toronto, Rotterdam and St. Louis.

During his career, Lum has been involved in conceiving and curating large-scale exhibitions, including the Monument Lab: A Public Art and History Project in Philadelphia in 2017. He has also worked as part of architectural/engineering teams for public projects in Canada, including a bridge and a public square.

Lum is co-founder and founding editor of Yishu Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art and has published numerous articles, catalogue essays and juried papers. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and a Penn Institute of Urban Research Fellow.

Established in 1967 by Queen Elizabeth II, the Order of Canada is the cornerstone of the Canadian Honors System, and recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation.