Thinking of acquiring art for your home? Here are some tips as you start curating a collection

Art is a great way to create depth and meaning to a place we call home. To make the curation of this art collection a little smoother and effortless, homegrown gallery Ode To Art has been providing art consultancy to homeowners, in addition to working with corporate and hospitality clients.

When working with a client to grow an art collection for a new home, Ode to Art often involves the architects and interior designers as many homeowners want their art collection to be seamlessly integrated into their home design. Additionally, the art chosen should also fit their taste and personality.

Jazz Chong, gallerist and owner of Ode to Art shares some tips on how one should approach buying art.

 

Tatler Asia
Above Ascott Marunouchi Tokyo featuring Bahk Seon Ghi

1. Learn about the artist

"Artwork is so personal, therefore it’s very important that you understand and enjoy and connect with every day. 

When deciding on art to be displayed in the home, we want homeowners to be able to both enjoy the aesthetic qualities and connect with the artist’s works. As they will live with these artworks for a long time, we would propose compatible pieces that will remain relevant and significant to the client’s taste and lifestyle.

So we always encourage and assist our clients to do thorough research on the artists they like, to connect more deeply with their work, and to forge a very special relationship with the artist."

Read also: Home Tour: A Barcelona Apartment That Doubles As An Art Venue And A Lofty Home

Tatler Asia
Above Marina One penthouse featuring Lee Jung Woong
Tatler Asia
Above Marina One penthouse featuring Dali

"The interior design of the Marina One penthouse is very sophisticated and the artworks we chose reflect the grandeur of the space. An international range of artists have been selected to reflect the metropolitan character of the homeowner.

Ode to Art is proud to represent artists from all around the world, from renowned local artists such as Lim Tze Peng and Hong Zhu An to Fernando Botero from Columbia or Korean artist Lee Jung Woong. We have recently added new artists to our collection, Patrick Rubinstein and Patrick Hughes, whose optical art have a way of drawing you in and play with your perceptions that I find fascinating."

 

Tatler Asia
Above Marina One penthouse featuring Fernando Botero

2. Consider the size of the artwork and the space

"To be conservative, you usually don’t put a big piece of artwork in a small space and vice versa. The display area should always be taken into account and the size of the artwork should be proportionate to the space; a small piece of artwork will be lost in a big space, while a piece that is too big will overpower an area and actually make it look smaller than it really is.

You can always be creative and fun in the way you display your artwork, so consider putting it on a bench, or a TV ledge. You don’t have to always put it in the centre of a wall, you can put it off-tangent, so it can give a room more breathing space."

 

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Above Pearl Island featuring Chen Wen Ling

3. Consider the materials

"Whether you prefer paintings, sculptures or installations is up to you, but there are some ground rules to follow, mainly regarding maintenance: works on paper should be protected by a glass or acrylic cover for our climate that is very humid. If you’re looking at a sculpture to be placed outdoor, it may be better that you consider the bronze material instead of resin. Resin is more suitable indoors.

In any case, we advise all our collectors to check regularly on their art, to make sure that they are properly maintained. This is the way you can make sure your art will stay with you for many years and can be passed on to your children."

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Above One Holland Village featuring David Bromley

4. There are no rules

"Be fun in the way you display your artwork, and don’t be bound by rules. If it works for you, then go for it—it’s a personal decision that needs to work for you.

We used a two-metre David Bromley artwork in one of the showflats we consulted on, and while it oversized in that space, it actually made the room space look bigger than what it is."

Read also: Buckingham Palace's Art Collection To Go On Display For The First Time

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Above Jazz Chong's bedroom, featuring Dedy Sufriadi

"A lot of people think that when you choose a piece for your bedroom, it has to be very calming but personally I have a piece of graffiti art in my bedroom that I look at every day when I wake up. It’s a piece by an Indonesian artist called Dedy Sufriadi that looks very naive but the artwork is very black, with a lot of child-like scribblings. But I like it, it’s a reminder to be child-like in life.

Art is a wonderful medium to reflect an identity that is unique to you and your family, while adding sophistication, depth and meaning to a place you can call your own."

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