4 minute read
Arushi Kapoor
Art Around the World
Interview by Amina Touray Photography By Mara Friedman
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Arushi Kapoor started her first business at the age of 19. She’s the founder of ARTSop Art Consultancy and the Co-founder & Director of Arushi Arts Galleries, with locations in Europe, North America and Asia.
Can you tell us more about what an art dealer and consultant do? As an art consultant, I help clients acquire artworks. I educate them about the art market and how to purchase art as an asset. I buy and sell artworks in the secondary and primary markets. As a primary art dealer, I represent artists, organize shows, place artists in the top collections. Both titles are overlapping. Both aim at providing asset class artworks to clients.
At such a young age, you’ve accomplished so much internationally, such as founding ARTSop art consulting, written your book, you’ve hosted previews and exhibits everywhere from Hong Kong, Bombay, Paris, New York, and more. How does one even begin the path to working with art internationally?
To work with art internationally, you need an amazing trustworthy team around the world. You need to be perfect at logistics. I had a client base in almost all cities I showcased in. Or I had a great dealer that I worked in conjunction with who helped bring in the client base. The art world insiders are a very small tight knit circuit. Inviting the art world and connecting with them is important. I do have many plans for expansion coming up. We just opened our first permanent space in Echo Park. Our first artist, Lindsay Dawn, had a sold out first show.
As a citizen of the world. What has each continent taught you about art? Like, how would you compare the views of art in, for example, Bombay and in Los Angeles?
Each museum or art exhibit has taught me something. Just helped me build an intuition about art and artists. I make a lot of decisions intuitively. South-East Asia has so many different types of art. Indian contemporary and South East Asian vernacular art are my favorite. European museums are some of the best institutions in the world. I am a member of Tate Moderns South- East acquisitions committee. I started dealing in the art once I moved to the US. A lot of my initial experience in sales within the art world is here. Each continent has its own charms and art to offer.
Is art something that runs in your family, or where does your interest in it begin?
Yes, My family are long-time art collectors and enthusiasts. My mother started dealing in Indian contemporary art around 25 years ago and has an extensive collection of top South East Asian artists. My uncle is a very avid international art collector. My family is all located between UK, India, and the US. They made sure that my and my sisters’ education was through in the arts.
You just opened an art warehouse on the East Side of Los Angeles. It has a lot of unique aspects to it. What details can you share about it?
The art warehouse on the east side of LA is called ARUSHI. It is a gallery dedicated to empowering not only female artists but female small businesses. Our first show is called Lawless Reflections by the artist Lindsay Dawn.
Now that you’ve been in the art industry for quite some years. What career-oriented advice would you give your younger self? Don’t stress about small situations. Time is always on your side.
Are there any books, documentaries, movies, or courses, that you would recommend toanyone that would be interested in following in your footsteps?
Destination art is great to identify particular artwork in your cities. I like looking through Taschen books for particular artists’ works and life. Art is War is great in life generally and Machiavelli. I watch all possible documentaries. Lost in ghost town is another good one I recently read. I would say just don’t be free. Even if you’re watching a movie or going out for a coffee, everything teaches you something.
Are you living your dream? Not yet. In my life, aspirations and wants are unlimited. Every time I come close, the dream shifts. Hopefully one day I will be living the dream.
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