How to Become an Art Collector

Anyone who knows anything about art would have learned instantly that the most valuable currency isn’t the billions of dollars you need to compete, it’s modesty. Bragging is not permitted and the biggest mistake you can ever make is calling yourself an “Art Collector.” You see, in the art world, no one actually calls themselves a collector. They just do it. The title is ascribed, earned and never self-proclaimed. 

So when we walked into the homes of these individuals, the first thing they did was correct us. Shy but sure, our subjects let us know that they are not art collectors. One described himself as a “baby collector,” two others mentioned that even their contacts with twice the number of years interest and works acquired don’t use the word. So whether they were buying art as an investment, expanding their wealth portfolio, or simply relishing the beauty of it, each of our subjects agreed on one thing, if you want to learn how to become an art collector, you’re already doing it wrong. 

“If you want to learn how to become an art collector, you’re already doing it wrong. ”

Art is one of those quiet interests that is unspoken by the collectors at the centre of the ecosystem. You will see the works in their home, you will appreciate the beauty of their collections, but the real savants don’t shout about their knowledge. They simply build a collection of valuable assets set to appreciate fiscally, socially and sentimentally. 

The symbiotic relationship between art and its collectors is deeply intimate and therefore kept very personal. When the tech bros fly off to Miami to rub shoulders with Jack Shainman or Ronnie Fieg at Art Basel you won’t see it on your feed. When the padel-junkie workaholic doubles, triples, even decuples – that’s a tenfold increase – on his investment, he’s not spending it in the club. When the fourth generation lawyer sponsors his favourite artists as they study abroad, it doesn’t go into his portfolio. The art does all the talking, the custodians simply curate the environment for a sustained conversation. 

According to Bobo Akpapunam, Folajimi Ayodeji and Ife Bakare. That is how to become an art collector. Just do it. Don’t talk about it, and for the love of all things bright and beautiful do not call yourself an Art Collector.