Art Collector Edwin Safa @edwigos spoke with AucArt about his most treasured artworks, what advice to give to young collectors starting out, and his top artwork picks from AucArt.
Art Collector Edwin Safa @edwigos spoke with AucArt about his most treasured artworks, what advice to give to young collectors starting out, and his top artwork picks from AucArt.
How did you start collecting?
I started collecting back when I was a undergrad student in London. A very dear person to me made me discover the art world by visiting random/small galleries and museums.
What was the first and latest artworks you purchased?
It all started in London when I started buying many Kaws sculptures at the very beginning of the “Kaws hype” and sold them all in order to be able to pay for the very first painting I bought which was a work by the Dominican artist CB Hoyo. The latest additions were a beautiful work by the American artist Andrea Marie Breiling and two magnificent canvases by the young emerging Argentinian artist Soko that recently featured in a group show at El Castillete Residency in Madrid.
What is your most treasured artwork?
I love every single artwork in my collection, they are all unique in their own way but the two most striking artworks that keep impressing me on a daily basis are the ones by the German artist Jana Schroder and the young French artist Rose Barberat. The colors both artists use have a stopping power that never gets old. Everyday you discover something new in them.
What advice would you give to other collectors starting out?
Buy something that both you like and complements your collection and mood of the location where the art will be displayed, don’t buy just because of hype, or you will end up with regret and with a piece of art that you will not grow to appreciate.
Do you buy thematically?
Yes of course. The subject is always important. There are some figures and themes that are really hard to hang on the walls at home and live with. The works have to be light, bright and not really provocative. The ones that are, are usually hanged in my private space such as my office or bedroom, where people don’t really have access.
Favorite exhibition you’ve seen in the last year?
Unfortunately i haven’t been to any fairs this year, but I will for sure be in Seoul for Frieze and Kiaf which im sure will be really interesting. Last year, I was only able to attend Frieze London and Paris+ by Art Basel, both of whom were great. As a collector, I believe attending those fairs is always a plus: you get to discover new artists and galleries, meet up with collectors or art dealers and share some discoveries and information on the market, on who’s the next big shot etc…
Buy something that both you like and complements your collection and mood of the location where the art will be displayed, don’t buy just because of hype, or you will end up with regret and with a piece of art that you will not grow to appreciate.
Buy something that both you like and complements your collection and mood of the location where the art will be displayed, don’t buy just because of hype, or you will end up with regret and with a piece of art that you will not grow to appreciate.
