“By day, I play with numbers for a living and by night, my life is all about art. Experiencing art is like a breath of fresh air, a creative outlet. What I've learned in the last couple of years is that the idea of 'energy balance' — energy in equals energy out — also applies to art. It's one the most obvious times in my life where I've noticed that when I've put energy in, I've got that same energy back: be it in engaging with more people, meeting more artists, going to more shows and even collecting more art. These experiences, relationships and connections are really my thing. Becoming an ambassador of Young Collectors Circle is my way of contributing to the art world, a way of putting more energy in. Not just financially, but also energetically.

Collection

"My interest for collecting started with a painting of my parents in law, by a very well-known New Zealand artist, Max Gimblett. It was a quatrefoil-shaped work that was hung in their hallway. It was probably the most beautiful piece of art I had ever seen. I got wrapped up in this artwork and as a result, I started going to art shows (and a solo of this very artist), fairs and meeting artists. At a fair in Wellington, I bought my first piece. The fair was so much fun and super busy. I was like: ‘Oh, I want that one, that one … or no, that one’. And then it snowballed from there.
One of my favourite artworks is a unique work on paper from Max Gimblett. It is probably the most sentimental painting I own. In a way, you could see it as the accessible version of the original 20.000-euro piece that got me inspired in the first place. It is a work that sparked my whole journey of collecting art. It just so happens that my other 'favourite' work hasn't even arrived yet, we cannot wait to see it in real life…

Once you learn, and you start to get an idea of what art looks like, you become familiar with what you like, what you don't like, who's doing what, for what reason, and how you can get the most out of it from a collecting perspective.

An important moment in this journey was when I wanted to buy an artwork from a young Kiwi artist who was painting beautiful works in New Zealand at the time. When I was younger, I had two little bars of silver, tucked away in my drawer. They were worth around 800 euros. There was a moment in which I fell in love with this piece and thought: 'Alright, I'm going to sell the silver to buy it'. So, I went out that day, sold the silver to some random silver buyer, and then spent the money on a piece of art. At the time, it was the most money I had ever spent on a piece of art and a lot of people thought I was crazy!
When I moved to the Netherlands, I had to rethink my collection. What did I want to do with some works that I bought 6+ years ago? Do you keep them, or do you recycle the money? They were beautiful pieces that meant so much to me at the time. I decided to bring a few of them to auction, luckily at quite a good profit. When I sell art, I always recycle it back into buying more art. Making money from selling your art may feel a bit icky, but I think it balances out when you keep this money within the art industry, when you support another young artist. Selling a few pieces meant that my collection was able to grow a bit quicker.
I am constantly aware of my own tastes and style. I often wonder if something is my own taste or the taste that I’m exposed to the most. It's classic psychology: when you are constantly exposed to something, you end up kind of resonating with it, either subconsciously or unconsciously. Especially on fairs, where you see a lot of art and experience trends, you ask yourself: do I like this artwork because it feels familiar? Do I like it because everyone else likes it or is it an organic thought? “

Tips

"Become obsessed! Go to bed thinking about art and really dive in. If you look through my phone it’s ridiculous: with the exception of an occasional photo of my partner, my cat, some food, all you will see are these pieces of art. The art world is huge and you will never touch the edges. If you want to at least know as much as you physically can, you need to try and absorb as much as you physically can. Because once you learn, and you start to get an idea of what art looks like, you become familiar with what you like, what you don't like, who's doing what, for what reason, and how you can get the most out of it from a collecting perspective. Don’t be afraid! The element of fear — perhaps feeling distant from galleries, artists, or famous people — is understandable but it’s an important thing to overcome. Just put yourself out there. I have no formal art education and because of this, I’ve always felt like I have the freedom to just do what I want and explore the art world. There are no rules. See where it takes you!”