Born and based in Hong Kong, Ellen Pau emerged as a significant figure in the local art scene during the 1980s. She co-founded the non-profit organization Videotage in 1986, which became a critical platform for video and media artists in the region, and later established the Microwave International New Media Arts Festival to foster digital art discourse.

Pau’s practice primarily utilizes video installation to explore themes of identity, urban space, and the intersection of technology and human experience. Her work often incorporates archival footage and experimental editing techniques to reflect on the rapid transformation of Hong Kong's social and physical landscape.

Her contributions to the field were highlighted by a major retrospective at Para Site in 2018, which surveyed her video installations from the 1980s to the present. She continues to be a central figure in the Asian digital art community, with her influence extending to the curatorial frameworks of major international art events held in Hong Kong.