1 How did you get your start as a dealer?
While studying art history at UCL I worked for dealer Caroline Wiseman where I learned about the wonderful variety and quality of works on paper available at affordable prices. I spent all my salary on building my own small art collection. Eight years later, my partner (now husband, Vincent Eames) and I sold our small flat to invest in our own art business. It was a crazy thing to do, but that was nearly 20 years ago now and we’ve never looked back.
2 What is your focus?
Any prints and works on paper that we love – from Goya etchings to Picasso linocuts to Matisse lithographs. We are perhaps most proud of the contemporary printmakers we work with such as Royal Academician Norman Ackroyd and young printmakers straight from art school.
3 How has the market changed in your experience?
So much of the art market has moved online. It is exciting how quickly we can meet new collectors and promote work to clients all over the world. However, this is a very personal business, and nothing beats seeing artworks for yourself.
4 What special events do you run?
While we embrace new technology, we run quite an old-school business and host small events at our galleries and collectors’ studio every week. Over supper and drinks, collectors discuss art with artists, historians and specialists. We think this is the most enjoyable way to learn about and collect art. Obviously these events have all had to be put on hold at the moment due to the lockdown measures, but we can’t wait for them to resume.
5 What do you collect personally?
I still like to buy art regularly either from artists or from other galleries, and I am usually drawn to etchings and black and white images. There is a thrill in buying something new, which you know will bring you real joy. I wouldn’t want to give that up, and I think that it is our own passion for collecting which allows us to understand our clients’ needs better.
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