UAE BASED DUTCH COLLECTOR BREAKING FAMILY TRADITIONS TO EMBRACE THE NEW
WRITTEN BY Naomi Lo
09.05.2024
Thomasâs collection in his apartment located in France - Brian Calvin, Scene Stealer, 2020, Acrylic on linen
Born in the Netherlands, now living between France and the UAE, the 29-year-old art collector nicknamed âThomasâ stood out on Instagram. In one notable post, he is snuggly resting on a peacock-blue sofa, gazing at a figurative portrait by American artist Brian Calvin hanging above him. This Dutch collector whose passion sparked by his collector father, houses a holistic collection recognized for vibrant androgynous artworks: Brian Calvin, Tomokazu Matsuyama and Ayako Rokkaku, to name a few. We spoke with Thomas before his departure to Frieze Seoul.
Naomi: Can you briefly introduce yourself and how did you start collecting art?
Thomas: My name is Thomas, Dutch, 29 years old. My father was passionate about art, especially post-war abstract expressionism. He would bring me to museums and galleries when I was younger. Once I moved to Paris and lived near the galleries, museums and auction houses, little by little I enjoyed visiting and discovering things by myself. Whilst I spent more time on Instagram following relatively young collectors, I was hysterically convinced to collect some myself.
Thomasâ first experience with art was that he acquired a small-size painting by Ben Vautier, a legendary French Fluxus artist who died at age 88 this year, was known for his text-based sartorial art. Thomas reminisced owning the artistâs merch when he was younger and manifesting one day he would own a unique piece. Later, Thomas was able to collect artworks with fewer concerns about price, so he began to collect art oscillating between the established and emerging; East and the West, particularly in France and Japan.
Naomi: When you buy art, which one speaks to you more? In-depth market research on an artwork or personal taste? And why?
I never buy anything without doing at least a bit of research, nor do I purchase things I donât have genuine interest.
Art collecting is a lifelong passion rooted in prudence and patience, Thomas reflects. Understanding the artistâs background, artistic language, and market value over time all contribute to a collector's prudence. Further, Thomas uses the price pattern of Bernard Buffet as an example of patience. The French painter was a prominent figure in the late 20th century, but his market crashed during the economic downturn of the 1990s. However, it slowly replenished its value from the 1990s to 2024.
Thomasâs collection: A painting by Japanese artist Takeru Amano
Thomasâs collection: A painting by Spanish artist Edgar Plans
Naomi: What is your cost-effective advice on storage and maintenance of artwork?
It really depends on the value of your art, you donât want to be too cost-effective. You also have to think a lot about all kinds of risks.
Thomasâs collection: An artwork by Japanese artist Ayako Rokkaku
Naomi: Which art fair(s) do you recommend to fellow art lovers? And why?
Thomas: I would recommend going to Art Basel, especially the one in Paris. And see the differences from other cities. There are many art fairs today happening all around the world, and it is hard to visit everything. But I find it nice when I get to see as much as possible, both established and emerging art in a short period of time. The quality of Art Basel is always very good. You get to meet a lot of people with different backgrounds too. There are smaller art fairs happening at the same time just right near, as well as major art museum exhibitions.
Naomi: Which part of Seoul Art Week do you look forward to the most?
Thomasâ collection: Paintings by Czech artist Jan KalĂĄb (left) and Japanese artist Takashi Marukami (right)