SARAH CANLAS
Architect
“I started by collecting vintage furniture, which I consider to be functional art. The first painting I bought I saw in a mall gallery I go to nearby. I found the technique very architectural, which is why it spoke to me. It turned out the artist was a former draftsman. I appreciated the technique and the cartographic representation of a seemingly chaotic city like Manila.”
YSTYLE: Can you explain your process in collecting art? Describe your experience?
It’s a patient process; as an architect, I set up the space first to identify the in-betweens before committing to a piece of art. My choices are more instinctive than intellectual — usually whatever makes me “smile in the mind.”
I could not start the process until the overall “frame” which is the entire space has come together. To me, art gives our space its wit.
Do you remember your first piece?
I started by collecting vintage furniture, which I consider to be functional art. The first painting I bought I saw in a mall gallery I go to nearby. I found the technique very architectural, which is why it spoke to me. It turned out the artist was a former draftsman. I appreciated the technique and the cartographic representation of a seemingly chaotic city like Manila.
What do you look for specifically in pieces you collect?
It has to complement a particular space well. It’s site-specific, usually a bit irreverent.
Your most memorable acquisition?
Nicole Coson’s pieces because we got them from a gallery in London and they shipped it without prior coordination so it got stuck in local customs and immigration! They made us pay penalties that were almost as much as the piece itself.
Do you believe in multiple pieces from the same artist? Or do you like to keep it diverse?
Sure, why not? If I like it and can afford it.
Does “art as investment” play a role in your forays? How do you envision the future of your collection?
Not too much… I believe in buying pieces that you personally love. I buy with the intention of keeping them and not trading.
Do you have a person in mind who has a collection that you admire?
Masamichi Kitayama of Wonderwall Tokyo, a design agency whose studio houses his collection that can rival some of the finest contemporary art museums anywhere. Like me he has a very site-specific approach and irreverence. Also, I appreciate that he built his collection slowly as he could afford it in time.
Are you looking forward to #ArtFairPH?
Definitely.