House of Art
Art gives me the power to connect
Instagram: @house_of_art_er
Hingham, MA
Growing up in London, I was surrounded by the energy of contemporary and street art, and that early exposure shaped a lifelong passion for creative expression in all its forms. That same passion now fuels my excitement in opening an international contemporary gallery on Boston’s South Shore, where I can share the vibrancy and edge of the art I love with a new community. I’m especially committed to community art projects, which I believe transform neighborhoods by making shared spaces feel cared for—and, in turn, helping residents feel valued. Bringing that spirit of connection, creativity, and cultural exchange to my new home is at the heart of my work.
“I believe art brings empathy to a community, and that art and creativity are not optional, it is a core aspect of our humanity”
A curator of international contemporary art, connecting the artistic community of the south shore with other communities and artists around the world.
What role do you play in the arts community, and what does that role mean to you personally?
I own House of Art in Hingham, a gallery showcasing contemporary international and local artists. I am also a proud board member of the South Shores Art Centre. Both these roles allow me, in a some small way champion the artists I love and help make the world incrementally a more beautiful place.
What moment (or moments) led you to this work?
I’ve been a supporter of the arts and a collector my entire life. I come from East London with its thriving contemporary and street art scene. Following the big move across the pond, the entrepreneurial spirit of my new home inspired me to found this gallery and bring some of what I have loved in the London art scene to a new audience.
Why does this work matter — especially right now?
The world seems defined today by conflict and extremes of belief. You can see the same news footage on two news channels and be told entirely different stories. I want to use art to both bring us together in common appreciation of something free from ideology but also to think independently. Art does not tell you what to think, but challenges to you to question what your perceiving and take your own meaning from it - a skill eroded by a world telling you how to think and how to be divided through a million different electronic channels.
How does your work help artists or creative people grow, connect, or feel supported?
Firstly, my gallery casts a wide global net for the artists we show, providing a physical space to bring together artists and art lovers from very distant parts of the world. My relationship with my artists is personal, and that personal connection allows me to further connect them with our local art community. Beyond a space to show art my gallery acts as a space for our creative community from toddlers to pensioners to meet and connect. Within Hingham and the south shore I am just one contributor to fantastic community of local artists and creatives, who champion one another’s work and collaborate on community art events.
What impact are you most proud of so far?
Being welcomed and becoming part of the local art community. I also love the community art projects we’re doing at the gallery.
What challenges have you had to navigate in building or sustaining this work?
In many ways the art has been the easy part. The community has been so welcoming and it has been a joy introducing artists I love from other parts of the world to the south shore. What has been hard is setting up a small business and working day and night to get people through the door to see this art.
How do you define “community” in the context of the arts?
The artistic community is highly permissive. I think it encompasses all and whoever has a passion for the arts, whether artists, creatively minded individuals or simply those that appreciate the creativity of others. I think that one of the things that I most love about art is the breadth of the ‘church’ and that it is so difficult to fence in the idea of a community because art can be practised and consumed in endless ways. In many ways I think all and every community has the arts as a core dimension, and if it doesn’t it should! I am a huge advocate of public art and how that can enrich any community, if a place is cared for people feel cared for and public art can do that.
What are you actively building or dreaming about next?
It’s early days with my gallery and I’m mostly focused on building it as a sustainable ongoing entity. With that I’m super focussed on pulling together exhibitions for the rest of the year. Outside of the gallery I’m excited about a number of public mural and other public art projects that I’m spearheading.
Why you believe the arts — and the people who make and support them
This can be reflective, hopeful, honest, or aspirational. There is no “right” tone.
Art’s leadership is an act of devotion to culture, to beauty, to dialogue, to the belief that art can shift how people see themselves and each other. But arts leaders carry the fear of disappointing artists, the pressure of representing a community with integrity, the responsibility of stewarding limited recourse and the constant question: Is this enough? Am I doing right by the work? The emotional commitment is rarely mentioned but shapes every decision.
