Masterpiece London, 2019. Photograph by Ben Fisher. Courtesy of Masterpiece
In his first column for LUX, art collector, advisor and chairman of Masterpiece London Philip Hewat-Jaboor discusses the joys of discovering art and design objects through their materials
Philip Hewat-Jaboor. Photograph by Danny Evans
I?m always intrigued to discover what brings people to works of art, and what sets their collecting in motion. Over the years, one of the most beguiling ways I?ve found to draw people in, is to look at an artwork?s materials and explore how it has been made. What does the texture and surface of the materials tell us" What meaning and significance do those materials hold" What cultural and historical value do they have" Whether it’s precious stones, marble, porcelain, pigment or wood, it’s interesting to think about how the artist has transformed a raw material into something full-formed and to look for the beauty in that process. Materials transcend disciplines, cross continents, and evolve through time and when it comes to beginning your own collection, it?s a brilliant place to start. Personally, I’m obsessed by coloured ornamental stones, and by that I mean the stones that were first quarried by the Romans in Egypt and other parts of the Roman Empire, which became incredibly prized as both building materials and materials for making works of art. I take great pleasure in looking at how these materials are used and reused over the cou...