My Affordable Art: Carl Wilhelm Hirsch

Having spent three years as the Director of Affordable Art Fair Stockholm, I have spent countless hours looking at paintings and sculptures both before and during the fairs themselves. A common trait that I have found, much to the despair of my family, is my impulsivity when it comes to buying art. 

My first pieces ever bought at Affordable Art Fair were several years prior to me joining the company, but my favourite pieces were bought at the fair in 2022. 

It was my first encounter with Spanish artist Juan Escudero, represented by Pigment Gallery who were exhibiting for the first time in Stockholm. 

The pieces are etchings on a Japanese paper that helps lift the texture of the prints. They are both of a series of 20, which is well within the allowed number of editions exhibited at the fairs. 

Looking at art that I have bought through the years works as a reminder for me of who I was at the time, what I was going through, and helps me remember and relate to my past. I try to see each piece in my collection as its own and I will try to find a balance in both style and texture, but I would rarely buy a piece because it would fit in, on the contrary, I want my pieces to stand out. You never know where you might be in 2, 5 or even 10 years so buying something just for a specific time can seem quite short sighted. 

To seasoned buyers and first time buyers I tend to say the same thing, if a piece speaks to you directly when you see it: take your time then and there. Ask the gallerist about the artist, the technique. Take time to learn about it, and if it still intrigues you, then go for it. No one will look at the painting more that you, the buyer.

Waking up in the morning, the piece will be in your home, giving you the feeling that you are having whilst looking at it in the fair. To me there is nothing better.