The art of giving back: painter buys unknown artists’ works

AFTER two decades of hard work, New York artist Guy Stanley Philoche planned to celebrate the success of his two-day sold-out show at Cavalier Gallery a year ago by buying a $15 000 (R277 000) watch.

But an inner voice spoke as the pandemic hit – telling him that he should step up and help other emerging artists.

“I made a promise to myself that every time I sell a painting, I’ll buy a painting,” said Haitian-born Philoche, 44, who grew up in Connecticut and was drawing and painting before he could walk.

Philoche posted a video of himself on Instagram offering to buy as much artwork as possible to help fellow artists hurt by the shutdowns.

“I hit ‘send’ and that’s when I opened Pandora’s Box,” he said.

Within a year Philoche has spent $70 000 on more than 200 pieces of art from over 150 artists around the world.

“I’m still going through it, buying it and I love it,” he said. “I also realise that now that I have a seat at the table I have to open doors for people, so I’m making it my mission now, you know, to give people a shot.”

Philoche’s collection, which includes pieces by his former professors and his tattoo artist, has caught the attention of museums around the world which want to host it.

But first, he wants a New York exhibition for the works, which are displayed throughout his small studio apartment and kept in a storage unit.

“It’s going to be really cool to call some of these artists whose work has never been sold before,” he said.