Iwona Blazwick is a prominent force in the British art world whose contributions to contemporary art range from participation in significant museum projects to the discovery and support of new art and artists in England and abroad. She is currently the Director of the Whitechapel Art Gallery and is overseeing the transformation and expansion of this venerable East London institution. Until 2001, she played a vital role in the creation of the Tate Modern as the Head of Exhibitions and Displays. From 1993 until 1997 Blazwick worked as an independent curator for museums and major public arts projects in Europe and Japan. She began her career as a curator at the ICA (Institute for Contemporary Art) in London where she gave Damien Hirst his first major London exhibition. She is a prolific writer and editor contributing to numerous Phaidon publications such as Fresh Cream in 2001 and as editor of the Tate Modern Handbook and Century City.