How to Collect Art for a Mindful Interior

Every home art collection has a different function, aesthetic and meaning to fit each individual interior vision. Your mission might be to make a statement, or to create a bold, bright color haven to stimulate your creativity. You might wish to pack every spare inch of wall space with an artwork, or keep things clean with sparser hangs. Whatever your style, any appreciator of art has an inherent sense of its meditative powers and, whilst creative meditation looks different to everyone, your art collection plays a pivotal role in ensuring your home is a place for inspiration, relaxation and all things mindful.

It’s important to think about mindfulness when curating your collection. A hectic home is more likely to lead to a hectic mind, but a simple way to encourage reduced stress and improved mood is to buy art that speaks to deeper meaning, deeper thinking and deeper breaths.  

And with spring being the season for hope, growth and joy, we’ve put together a list of artists you might want to look out for at our New York fair in March (22 – 26) to help you collect for a mindful interior.

Carla Freschi

Working from her home studio in Copenhagen, Carla Freschi creates beautifully minimalistic artworks inspired by Mexican embroidery. Local gallery, Marisol Art NYC, will be bringing a selection of her hand-embroidered pieces to our spring fair, which were a real standout last fall. The natural, organic nature of the patterns she conjures speak to imperfection, intuition and fragility. She says about her work:

Artworks that lead us to deeper thinking is exactly what a mindful interior relies upon. The meditative nature of Freschi’s process would be a thoughtful, transportive addition to a home collection craving a little bit of zen.

Nancy C Woodward

Adding a touch of nature into your home is a great place to start. It’s no secret that spending time outdoors is great for our mental health, and art is the perfect way to bring a touch of the outside world inside. When an artwork borrows colors from nature, the same psychological effects can occur. Cool earth tones tend to sooth and relax, whereas warm earth tones can be cozy, inspiring and reassuring.  

The work of Nancy C Woodward expertly combines these elements. Her ethereal landscapes utilize these color palettes and include natural patterns, such as sunlight through leaves. Elisa Contemporary Art will be showcasing her photography: the artwork equivalent of a calming exhale.

Magdalena Roglich

Arte Original are a mindful Latin American gallery based in Virginia. Their aim is to grow together with their artists and collectors, fostering a community that contributes to the local and international art ecosystem. You’ll find them at booth A11 this spring, with artists from Argentina, Chile, Columbia and Venezuela.

We particularly love the work of Magdalena Roglich, whose ‘Plegados’ series will be available to buy. The paintings portray origami figures, involving straight lines and geometric shapes. Whilst the craft as a whole represents transformation, more specifically, the paper crane symbolizes honor and loyalty: two traits that will fit perfectly into a mindful home collection.

Roglich’s work also proves that mindful art doesn’t have to be minimalist – it can also suit the home of a color addict!

Yelena Lezhen

Acrylic and ink mix in the work of Yelena Lezhen, whose work always embodies many of the key principles of mindfulness. Focused on the body, mind and soul, her artworks are made with the intention of causing their viewer to stop, pause and observe closely. With ambiguous meaning, space is left to reflect on the themes of the piece, encouraging us to take our own thoughts and feelings away. This promotes imagination and emotion, which is all key to discovering the joy of collecting mindful art.  

Art Kim | 김화영

Art Kim’s traditional Korean paintings have a beautifully modern twist. They’re calm, atmospheric evocations of natural landscapes. With a minimalistic style, their depth draws the eye, lulling the viewer into a centered state. The artist’s intention is to lead us to think about our personal life journeys, as well as our philosophies of life in general.

You’ll be able to see Art Kim’s work in the flesh with Young Art Gallery, who will be joining us from South Korea. We can’t wait to get closer to these paintings and be inspired into deeper, quieter thought during the buzz of our fair.

Make a Bigger Splash

Being around water can have a powerful psychological effect on our bodies. We could get very scientific about this (think parasympathetic nervous system, blood pressure and color psychology) but we don’t think this is necessary: most people know intrinsically how soothing water landscapes can be. Transferring this into the artworks you collect is an almost unbeatable method for injecting your home with zen energy. Bodies of water offer artistic inspiration in spades, so you’ll be spoilt for choice at our fair. But, here are three artists that have caught our eye this year.

Judy Mauer

Judy Mauer is a NYC-based photographer with a fascination in capturing the reflections of moving water. You might be surprised to know that these images have been taken in one shot: no double exposure or Photoshop involved. We love their quietness, forcing the viewer into a state of pause.

Roberta Ruocco

Another incredible NYC fine art photographer is Roberta Ruocco, whose work is inspired heavily by the ocean, with water as her main muse. We’re lucky enough to have artworks from her ‘Lines of Latitude’ series at our fair with ASMP NY. Born from an awareness of placing priority on others over herself, Ruocco’s horizons reflect a renewed sense of identity and power. Thus, the feeling her work evokes ties into key principles of mindfulness: patience and trust in yourself.

Lynn Savarese

A browse through Lynn Savarese’s portfolio will tell you immediately how important intimate observation of the earth’s natural elements is to her work. Water is her passion, and by incorporating her work into your home collection, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to ripple close-ups, ocean landscapes and pristine reflections. We love the idea of hanging a triptych of her prints in a central space to add a sense of flow.

And that is exactly what art collector, Lizzy Jennings has done, pictured below!

There are endless ways to buy art with an awareness of mindfulness. Really, the most important part of curating a calm, intentioned interior is to think about what brings you peace and what encourages you to slow down, unwind and harmonize with your surroundings. At our fair this spring, make sure to look out for the artists we’ve mentioned here and see what feelings they inspire within you.

Tickets are on sale now. We can’t wait to see you there!

Main image:Roberta Ruocco, ‘Untitled #11406’, Photography, Edition of 10, 28 x 28in, $3,200, ASMP NY