As anybody who has tried to curate an artwork assortment for his or her house will inform you, it takes a watch to place the appropriate items in the appropriate 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 rigorously 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 one among Younger’s many obligations since she grew to become the worldwide wonderful artwork director of Artwork Works Group in Might 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 Conflict & 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 wonderful 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 complement, develop and diversify the collections of artwork collectors within the area. She is especially keen about championing rising artists, and hopes to supply Artwork Works Group’s shoppers a style of latest artwork that they might not have seen earlier than.
Forward, Younger tells us extra about her function at Artwork Works Group, her path 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 needed to work within the arts. In highschool, I used to be intrigued by something inventive. I used to be tremendous fascinated about classical historical past, however then I used to be pondering, how do you pivot that right into a profession aside from being a historian? Considered 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 completely different world. I knew earlier than I completed highschool that I needed to have a profession within the arts, in all probability as an artwork vendor 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 function at Artwork Works Group?
CY: One of many lovely issues about public sale homes is that you just study a lot and you’re uncovered to a lot due to how worldwide these firms are. They’ve so many alternative departments, not only for artwork however for jewelry, watches, automobiles and manuscripts. Coming from a significant public sale home like that, you acquire a variety of information about how the posh market works. However personally, the interplay with such wonderful artworks was clearly the spotlight. These are the kinds 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 personal assortment. They will not be seen once more for an additional 50 years. It was a privilege to deal with such artworks, to stand up near them and study in regards to the follow of the artists. These experiences and the those that I encountered, from shoppers to colleagues, have been integral to my profession. I’m bringing all of that information to my new function in Artwork Works Group.
You’re the world wonderful artwork director of Artwork Works Group. What does that function entail?
CY: It’s fairly an enormous function. 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 mission of mine. One of many causes I joined Artwork Works Group was as a result of I needed to work carefully with artists for a very long time. For the gallery, my function 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 house for me as we advise shoppers on their artwork collections, resembling 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 convey 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 little bit bit completely different. That’s actually our purpose.
What do you look out for when selecting artists to symbolize at Artwork Works Group?
CY: Expertise, firstly. You realize, once you’re standing in entrance of an art work, do you get pleasure from it? Does it convey 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 necessary to think about completely 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 properly 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 have 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 necessary as properly.
What do you assume artwork collectors in Singapore are in search of?
CY: I feel that color may be very in style right here. And having good feng shui and a way of concord throughout the artworks is necessary as properly. I feel that shoppers right here know what they like however are additionally open to embracing modern beliefs and worldwide artwork, and we need to convey that to them.
Is there a launch that you just’re enthusiastic about?
CY: Our upcoming Notion exhibition is our subsequent present and a mission 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 at actuality, their notion of house, and the way that’s perceived on the floor of the compositions. As artists they’re all fairly completely different, however there may be an underlying thread [in their art] about the way in which that all of them have 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 not too long ago opened in Palma, Spain. And Callum has exhibited with among 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.
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