''I don't really have a life without art. There is never a day, really, in which I’m not preoccupied with it. Collecting and trading art started out as a hobby. I shared that passion with my mother, who used to have a number of antique shops in Zandvoort. We would visit art auctions together. I was five years old when I came to the auction in Haarlem for the very first time. I particularly remember the hustle and bustle. Paintings were being carried around, statues were moved back and forth on carts, and boxes of art were unpacked. Here, art seemed accessible and manageable, very different from a museum, where I would usually feel a bit out of place. From the age of 13, I visited various markets to score interesting objects and researched them in the local library. I would display them in my home, and if I grew tired of them after a while, I would sell them. Every six months, I shifted my hyperfocus to a different subject, from glassware before 1800 to Japanese netsuke.

The great thing about art is that it has the power to amaze and upset you. It can offer you a different line of thinking. Art can touch you on a deeper level and make you think about essential things that you might ordinarily ignore or brush over. Art can depict everything you see, essentially, but also what you could see or what isn't really there. I became an ambassador for Young Collectors Circle because I want to share my enthusiasm for older, more classical types of art. Additionally, I want to show that combining this type of art with contemporary art can enhance both art forms. Contemporary art is, as it were, built on the foundations of older art forms. That is why they are able to enter into a special symbiotic relationship.

Collection

My collection exemplifies how older and contemporary art go together really well. I own an eclectic collection of paintings, photography, prints, and drawings. My boyfriend Robert Lambermont is an artist himself, which is why we also show some works of his in the house: mainly kinetic sculptures made of scorched wood, glass, and sulfur. It is a nice collection of rarities and curious objects. Because the walls are sloped - we have a mansard roof - we only have two suitable walls to place works on. One spot is reserved for my boyfriend and the other is for my collection. That is why I usually don’t have a specific spot in mind when I buy a work. No matter how big or small, I'll find a place for it. Occasionally, I’ll place the paintings on the floor, against a wall. The location is always subordinate to the artwork. Everything has to make way for the art. When I see a certain quality in a work – which could relate to the backstory, the technique, or the imagery – then I want to know everything about it and then I want to own it. I buy art with two goals in mind: to add a work to my collection or for the art trade. My own collection consists mainly of modernist Dutch art. The technical implementation and the condition are leading factors in my purchases. For me, a work of art must rise above itself. The art that I sell must also tell an interesting story. That might include a deviant kind of visualization, a piece that doesn’t necessarily match the oeuvre of the artist, or it might just be a really high-quality piece. But whether I buy for myself or the trade: it must appeal to me on a deeper level. If a piece that was intended for sale doesn't sell in the end, I just enjoy it myself.

I have occasionally regretted a purchase, for instance when I paid too much for it, or when it turns out to be a counterfeit. I experienced a situation like that three years ago. I saw a 'Brillo' poster at De Oprechte Veiling in Haarlem with a handwritten signature: "Andy Warhol". I came across the exact same posters on the internet. Because my boyfriend works a lot with screen printing techniques, he was able to tell me that it came from the exact same screen as the examples on the internet. I thought: a green light! Someone else at the auction had the same idea so we put up a lot of bidding, but I won the bid. However, the poster turned out to be a forgery, as well as the works on the internet. Eventually, I even found out who the forger was, a printmaker from the southern Netherlands, that's just how I am, I really get into it. Now it is part of my counterfeit collection. But that is part of the job! You learn from your mistakes.

The first artwork I bought at an art fair was a drawing by Raymond Lemstra: 'Personnage Fictionnel' (2020). It was shown in the booth of Mini Galerie during Art Rotterdam. From afar, the artwork looks like a portrait photo of a lady from the 1950s. The black and white drawing is quite realistic: you can count every curl of her hair and you can see the bulges in the fabric of her sweater. Despite the many details, the face is completely abstracted. Lemstra is skilled enough to draw the lady as a whole in a hyper-realistic style, but chooses to leave out certain parts. There’s a tension between the nostalgic image and the technical ingenuity on the one hand, and the abstract and anonymous on the other. That is what I like about this work. When I walked past it, I almost didn’t dare to ask for the price. In the end, it was not that bad and I bought it through the Kunstkoop art purchase scheme [that allows you to pay for a work in interest-free installments].

My dream work? One day, I would love to hang a self-portrait in oil by the most tranquil Dutch artist: Jan Mankes. I would hang it in that one place on the wall. I had the privilege of selling a total of five paintings by this artist, But it is unlikely that it will ever own one myself, as most self-portraits are in public collections.

Tips

Many emerging art collectors experience a major barrier when it comes to buying art, but it doesn't have to be that way. You can buy art for tens of euros. Many people fantasize about buying art, but you just have to do it! You won't know if you like it, or if you enjoy it, until you've tried it. Many of my friends feel anxious when they’re about to buy a work; they turn it into something huge in their heads. Some are concerned about their preferences or they might be ashamed of their tastes, but of course, you shouldn't worry about that. So just do it!

Another tip? Visit the viewing days of an auction. The Netherlands has more than 30 auction houses. Nearly every major city has one. Once you are there, you can come across the coolest things: design, both classic and contemporary art, furniture, etc. The most exciting moment takes place during the live (online) auction: for what amount will the artwork be auctioned? It's a transparent new world that you can step into without much preparation. Explore, learn yourself to really look at things, and enrich your art world!”