My Affordable Art IV

Within our teams around the world, we have many art lovers, whose passion for creativity drew them to careers within the industry and the Affordable Art Fair family. So, it should be no surprise that many of them are art collectors themselves!

To help you get to know our team of arty experts a little better, we’ve asked them to share the inspiration behind their #myaffordableart purchases.

ANNICK REIBESTEIN, Fair Manager, Amsterdam

I first saw this piece at Affordable Art Fair Amsterdam in 2018. It’s called ‘Alexandra’ and it’s by a Dutch photographer named Jenny Boot. When I walked by this piece, on the Public House of Art stand, it immediately caught my attention. The model has such a powerful presence and I find her different coloured eyes fascinating.

When I heard the story behind the photo, I fell even more in love! Alexandra is the female counterpart of the ‘defender of mankind’ and I love the fact she’s always watching over me with her intriguing, ambiguous expression. I was working at the fair so ran out of time to buy the work on site but a week later I went to the gallery and bought the work with my boyfriend. We both enjoy it every day and it really completes our living room. This will definitely not be our last purchase from Jenny Boot or Public House of Art!

Cristina Salmastrelli, Regional Managing Director, USA

I love sharing my art with friends and family that I invite into my home as it’s a visual representation of my life experiences. Each piece represents or speaks to a different adventure that has helped shaped me into the person I am today. Simultaneously, since my art is my visual timeline, it compels me to take a trip down memory lane and reflect often. This year will mark my fifth wedding anniversary. #myaffordableart that represents this magical day is a photograph by Floyd P. Stanley (represented by ArtStar). The image is simply a cassette tape with the title “Walk the Line.” (main image).

The song, “I Walk the Line,” is a promise by Johnny Cash to his soulmate, June Carter. With every decision he makes, he will always think of her. It might seem like a simplistic or pragmatic message, but to me, the statement is profound. ‘You’ turns into ‘us’ and ‘me’ turns into ‘we.’ And here, in this photograph, this lovely sentiment and beautiful reminder of the profound commitment that my husband and I made to each other remains.

This piece was actually a wedding gift from our fair production partners, and was purchased at Affordable Art Fair NYC, spring 2014. I was so touched by the idea that I actually went on to buy my four best friends similar ones, featuring their wedding songs!

Isabel Deimel, Fair Manager, Hamburg

I fell in love with this artwork, created by German artist Eberhard Freudenreich, after I had the pleasure of interviewing him in 2017. He’s represented by a gallery from Hamburg which I hold in high regard, Holzhauer Galerie Hamburg, and I couldn’t resist buying it at Affordable Art Fair Hamburg that year.

Eberhard focuses on etchings and likes to play with the basic elements and concepts of the ‘line and plane’ and I love the aesthetic combination of his colours and forms. Usually artists that work in etching like to create editions, but Eberhard only produces unique prints – which of course this makes it even more special to me! I hung it at the end of my bed, and when I wake up and look at it each morning, it makes me smile. I have paired it with a print by Fernando de Brito, called “Eva Hesse”, an abstract portrait of a really impressive female German artist from the 60’s. I adore the combination of two great artists and their delicate graphics.

Sylvia Rynell, Fair Manager, Stockholm

I’ve bought several pieces of art at Affordable Art Fair Stockholm over the years, currently my collection stands at 13 artworks (and counting!). All my previous purchases have been prints, photographs or other limited editions, so last year I really wanted an original piece, to add something different to my modest collection. It was the colours and different shades of blue that first drew me to this painting by Anna Pajak, but the more I considered it, the more I liked the feeling that you get ‘drawn into’ the painting and the depth of it. The fact that the artist was one of our Recent Graduates, and on top of that is an original, created using oil and acrylic, made it just too good of a coincidence not to snap it up! I still haven’t found the perfect spot to hang it, but in the meantime, it’s standing next to my pink sofa and they happily match perfectly.

I don’t know about you, but we love hearing people explain why they fell in love with a piece of art, we tend to find each reason is as unique as the works themselves! We’d love to hear about the inspiration behind the artworks you’ve purchased, don’t forget to use the hashtag #myaffordableart when posting on Instagram and tag us!

Like their style? Well you’re in luck! We’ve created a curated collection of artworks inspired by their good taste – enjoy!