Cassi Younger, the worldwide high-quality artwork director of Artwork Works Group. Younger wears & OTHER STORIES costume; BIMBA Y LOLA kitten heels; Younger’s personal jacket, watch and rings

As anybody who has tried to curate an artwork assortment for his or her dwelling will let you know, it takes an eye fixed to place the correct items in the correct 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 one among Younger’s many duties since she grew to become the worldwide high-quality artwork director of Artwork Works Group in Could this 12 months.

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 Put up Battle & Modern 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 high-quality artwork gallery and advisory that was established in 2011, Younger has her finger on the heart beat 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 obsessed with 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 all the time recognized that I wished to work within the arts. In highschool, I used to be intrigued by something inventive. I used to be tremendous interested by classical historical past, however then I used to be pondering, how do you pivot that right into a profession apart from being a historian? One among 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 a giant establishment and I’d 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 wished to have a profession within the arts, in all probability as an artwork supplier or working at an public sale home.

Talking of public sale homes, you beforehand labored at Bonhams and Christie’s London. How do you suppose these experiences contribute to your function at Artwork Works Group?

CY: One of many stunning issues about public sale homes is that you simply study a lot and you’re uncovered to a lot due to how worldwide these corporations 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 achieve a number of data about how the posh market works. However personally, the interplay with such superb artworks was clearly the spotlight. These are the kinds of works which were hidden away for possibly 50 years in a non-public 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 an additional 50 years. It was a privilege to deal with such artworks, to rise up near them and study concerning the observe of the artists. These experiences and the folks that I encountered, from shoppers to colleagues, have been integral to my profession. I’m bringing all of that data to my new function in Artwork Works Group.

Younger wears LORO PIANA polo sweater, cardigan, sweatpants; BIMBA Y LOLA kitten heels; Younger’s personal watch and ring

You’re the international high-quality artwork director of Artwork Works Group. What does that function entail?

CY: It’s fairly a giant 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 challenge of mine. One of many causes I joined Artwork Works Group was as a result of I wished to work intently with artists for a very long time. For the gallery, my function is to decide on the artists we accomplice 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 shoppers on their artwork collections, equivalent to which artists to purchase, what artwork works to promote, or the place to promote them, for instance.

CY: What I actually need to do is help native inventive expertise and to carry thrilling up to date artists from everywhere in the world to Singapore, and showcase their works right here in order that collectors, each aspiring and established, can expertise one thing just a little bit completely different. That’s actually our purpose.

What do you look out for when selecting artists to signify at Artwork Works Group?

CY: Expertise, firstly. , whenever you’re standing in entrance of an paintings, do you take pleasure in it? Does it carry one thing to your expertise? Are you moved by it? These are all of the issues that [I consider and] I search for. However it’s additionally necessary to contemplate 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 nicely in Southeast Asia due to the humidity. So I are inclined to search for canvases or sculptural works—items with a extra sturdy materials. Additionally, I have a look at the artist’s trajectory and their match throughout the gallery’s roster. Can we help them in the easiest way? That’s actually necessary as nicely.

What do you suppose artwork collectors in Singapore are on the lookout for?

CY: I believe 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 nicely. I believe that shoppers right here know what they like however are additionally open to embracing up to date beliefs and worldwide artwork, and we need to carry that to them.

Is there a launch that you simply’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 at actuality, their notion of area, 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 observe. Araminta simply had her first solo museum present in Italy, which is a giant second. Max has a solo present that not too long ago opened in Palma, Spain. And Callum has exhibited with a few 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 problem of GRAZIA Singapore.

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