How to Start and Build an Art Collection - Advice From an Artist Who Has Exhibited Internationally
Building an art collection is one of the most rewarding and personal things you can do.
Not because it fills walls but because done well, a collection tells a story about who you are, what you value and where you've been. The right pieces become part of the fabric of a home.
Here's what I've learned as both an artist and someone who has watched collectors make decisions about work.
1. Start with what stops you
Before thinking about style, size or budget - pay attention to what you keep going back to look at.
Not what matches your sofa. Not what impresses guests. The piece you think about after you've closed the browser. The one you screenshot and send to yourself.
That instinct is more reliable than any framework.
Ask yourself: does this work feel specific or generic? Does it have a story behind it? Would I still want it in ten years?
Gorm na Peacoige - on view as part of 'Interconnecting Lines' hosted by Artio Gallery @ One Art Space, New York. April, 2024
2. Choose an anchor piece first
Every collection benefits from one strong piece that sets the tone - an original painting or a significant giclee print that everything else can eventually relate to.
This anchor piece doesn't need to be the most expensive thing you ever buy. It needs to be the one you're most certain about. The one that earns its place permanently.
3. Mix Mediums for Depth
The most interesting collections aren't limited to one form. Layering different mediums brings visual richness and keeps a collection feeling alive rather than matched.
Consider paintings and prints as expressive focal points, sculptural elements for dimension, photography for contrast, textiles for texture.
The interplay between materials is what makes a collection feel collected rather than decorated.
Tonn & Coinnle Corra - on view as part of 'The London Biennale of Women in Art' by Artio Gallery @Chelsea Old Town Hall, London. September, 2024.
4. Think about scale and breathing room
One of the most common mistakes in building a collection is crowding good work.
Vary the scale of pieces, large and small in conversation with each other. And give each piece room to breathe. Negative space isn't wasted wall, it's what lets each work be seen properly.
A strong painting needs space around it as much as it needs good light.
5. Let it grow slowly
Curating a collection is not about filling walls quickly. It's a slow process that unfolds alongside your life.
The best collections grow through exhibitions, travel, conversations with artists and moments of genuine resonance. Each piece becomes a marker - of a place visited, a period lived through, a decision made.
Don't rush it. The right pieces will find you if you're paying attention.
Gorm na Peacoige & Damhsa an Dragain - on view as part of 'Interconnecting Lines' hosted by Artio Gallery @ One Art Space, New York. April, 2024
Art should feel at home in its surroundings without being dictated by them.
A few things that consistently work: fluid, layered work in spaces where you want to slow down - bedrooms, reading rooms, hallways. Bold, gestural pieces in social spaces where you want energy and conversation. Metallic accents in rooms with good natural light - they shift throughout the day.
But ultimately - if a piece is right, the space adjusts to it. Not the other way around.
Féitheacha & Cruinne - on view as part of (UN)FAIR MILANO' Milan International Art Fair (Represented by Van Gogh Art Gallery) Milan. Mar 2024
The Point of a Collection
Curating art isn't about trends or investment strategies or filling a brief.
It's about surrounding yourself with work that means something, that you'd genuinely miss if it wasn't there.
If you're starting a collection or looking for a piece that earns its place permanently, the work is here.
Explore the print series → HERE
Download the portfolio and price list → HERE
