“Strong, strict but very fair”: Masterpiece chairman on the vetting at the fair – video

Billed as “the unmissable London fair”, this year’s Masterpiece London introduced a number of developments aimed at enhancing the visitor experience. Among those where changes to the floorplan which Hewat-Jaboor said they were intended to provide an “additional feeling of grandeur, openness… and draw people through the fair in a much easier way”.

He also mentioned how the organisers deliberately mix exhibitors in different disciplines around the fair to emphasise the event’s cross-category appeal. For young collectors, he described the fair as “an unrivalled opportunity to come across a whole range of fabulously beautiful works of art”

“It’s all in the label”

Like other leading fairs around the world, Masterpiece vets the items offered to give buyer’s confidence. Hewat-Jaboor said the event has 185 vetters that look at every single work and he described the system as “crucial to the success of the fair”.

He also told ATG that part of the fair’s attempts to encourage younger people into the industry, it had launched a mentoring scheme for up-and-coming specialists to learn about this area from more experienced peers.