As anybody who has tried to curate an artwork assortment for his or her house will inform you, it takes an eye fixed to place the best items in the best locations. Cassi Younger has the attention, as evident by the work that had been on show on the Artwork Works Gallery in One Holland Village again in September. She had fastidiously curated the vivid artworks from budding artists Kate Florence and Sylvie Kettle for the gallery’s exhibition, titled The Spirit Of Life. Curating such exhibitions has been certainly one of Younger’s many obligations since she turned the worldwide tremendous artwork director of Artwork Works Group in Could this yr.
Younger has each the attention and the experience for the job. Earlier than becoming a member of Artwork Works Group, she was the previous director of Publish Battle & Up to date Artwork at Bonhams in London. She beforehand held roles in different esteemed public sale homes, together with Christie’s London.
At Artwork Works Group, a Singapore-based tremendous artwork gallery and advisory that was established in 2011, Younger has her finger on the heartbeat of the Asian artwork market; she leads the corporate’s mission to counterpoint, increase and diversify the collections of artwork collectors within the area. She is especially obsessed with championing rising artists, and hopes to supply Artwork Works Group’s purchasers a style of latest artwork that they could not have seen earlier than.
Forward, Younger tells us extra about her position at Artwork Works Group, her course for the corporate, and what she believes units high-quality artwork aside.
What drew you to a profession within the artwork world?
Cassi Younger (CY): I’ve at all times recognized that I wished to work within the arts. In highschool, I used to be intrigued by something artistic. I used to be tremendous excited about classical historical past, however then I used to be considering, how do you pivot that right into a profession aside from being a historian? Certainly one of my favorite issues to do once I was rising up was to go to artwork galleries. Most famously, in Adelaide, there’s the Artwork Gallery of South Australia. It’s fairly an enormous establishment and I might go there with my mother [when I was younger]. I liked being misplaced within the artworks, immersed on this totally different world. I knew earlier than I completed highschool that I wished to have a profession within the arts, in all probability as an artwork seller or working at an public sale home.
Talking of public sale homes, you beforehand labored at Bonhams and Christie’s London. How do you assume these experiences contribute to your position at Artwork Works Group?
CY: One of many stunning issues about public sale homes is that you just be taught a lot and you might be uncovered to a lot due to how worldwide these firms are. They’ve so many various departments, not only for artwork however for jewelry, watches, automobiles and manuscripts. Coming from a serious public sale home like that, you acquire numerous information about how the posh market works. However personally, the interplay with such wonderful artworks was clearly the spotlight. These are the varieties of works which were hidden away for perhaps 50 years in a personal assortment, come up for public sale as soon as, after which go to a different non-public assortment. They might not be seen once more for one more 50 years. It was a privilege to deal with such artworks, to rise up near them and be taught in regards to the observe of the artists. These experiences and the folks that I encountered, from purchasers to colleagues, have been integral to my profession. I’m bringing all of that information to my new position in Artwork Works Group.
You’re the international tremendous artwork director of Artwork Works Group. What does that position entail?
CY: It’s fairly an enormous position. I’m overseeing the inventive curation of the corporate, and there are a number of pillars at Artwork Works Group. The gallery focuses on rising to mid-career artists. It’s an actual ardour challenge of mine. One of many causes I joined Artwork Works Group was as a result of I wished to work carefully with artists for a very long time. For the gallery, my position is to decide on the artists we associate with, and form and curate what we current. The advisory, which is one other pillar of the corporate, is a really acquainted area for me as we advise purchasers on their artwork collections, reminiscent of which artists to purchase, what artwork works to promote, or the place to promote them, for instance.
What’s your imaginative and prescient for the Artwork Works Gallery?
CY: What I actually need to do is assist native inventive expertise and to deliver thrilling modern artists from all around the world to Singapore, and showcase their works right here in order that collectors, each aspiring and established, can expertise one thing a bit bit totally different. That’s actually our purpose.
What do you look out for when selecting artists to characterize at Artwork Works Group?
CY: Expertise, firstly. You already know, whenever you’re standing in entrance of an art work, do you get pleasure from it? Does it deliver one thing to your expertise? Are you moved by it? These are all of the issues that [I consider and] I search for. But it surely’s additionally vital to contemplate totally different artists for various areas. In Southeast Asia, sure artists and supplies work higher right here. For instance, if not sorted works on paper don’t fare as effectively in Southeast Asia due to the humidity. So I are inclined to search for canvases or sculptural works—items with a extra strong materials. Additionally, I take a look at the artist’s trajectory and their match throughout the gallery’s roster. Can we assist them in one of the simplest ways? That’s actually vital as effectively.
What do you assume artwork collectors in Singapore are searching for?
CY: I feel that color could be very well-liked right here. And having good feng shui and a way of concord throughout the artworks is vital as effectively. I feel that purchasers right here know what they like however are additionally open to embracing modern beliefs and worldwide artwork, and we need to deliver that to them.
Is there a launch that you just’re enthusiastic about?
CY: Our upcoming Notion exhibition is our subsequent present and a challenge I’ve been passionately engaged on since I joined. It opens on 24 October and it options three UK-based artists: Araminta Blue, Max Boyla and Callum Harvey. It’s titled “Notion” as a result of every artist appears to be like at actuality, their notion of area, and the way that’s perceived on the floor of the compositions. As artists they’re all fairly totally different, however there may be an underlying thread [in their art] about the way in which that all of them take a look at actuality, whether or not it’s actual or imagined, and all three are very thrilling artists to look at. Araminta simply had her first solo museum present in Italy, which is an enormous second. Max has a solo present that lately opened in Palma, Spain. And Callum has exhibited with a number of the most spectacular younger galleries in London. I’m thrilled to be bringing them out to Singapore.
Pictures: Jaya Khidir
Artwork Course: Marisa Xin
Styling: Kelly Hsu
Pictures Assistants: Aliy Alam And Nowo Kasturi
This story initially appeared on Grazia Singapore and within the October 2024 difficulty of GRAZIA Singapore.
For extra on the newest in chief interviews and reads, click on right here.