Emma Vandermerwe, born in South Africa in 1975, spent her formative years in Switzerland and France. She pursued her higher education in London, earning a Bachelors and Masters in fine art from the Slade School of Fine Art, followed by a Master's in Art Management from City University.

Vandermerwe dedicated over a decade to the London arts scene. In 1999, she was appointed Assistant Curator and Registrar of the Cranford Collection.