Richard Heaton Collection Visit

Over the last 30 years Richard Heaton has built up a collection of artwork with a focus on mid-20th century French paintings, contemporary and modern Indian paintings and drawings, and contemporary British art. Included in the collection are works by Caroline Achaintre, Charles Avery, Sonia Boyce, Armen Eloyan, Bhupen Khakhar, Nalini Malani and George Shaw, among others.
 
Through his collection, with artworks purchased from the Contemporary Art Society’s curated annual market (in the 1990s) and more recently at art fairs, studio visits and the Drawing Room Biennial, Richard aims to support artists and makers. As he describes, “A lot of galleries assume that collectors are immensely rich or leisured patrons. So my part-time pottering round the occasional art fair or studio visit is a fringe activity… I’ve made many friends and learned a lot from them – as well as, in a very small way, supporting their practice.” Richard will speak about his personal way of selecting art to purchase and about the individual artworks in his eclectic collection.
 
This visit will provide an insight into how to start a collection in an affordable way and is designed to coincide with the gallery’s upcoming fundraiser, Drawing Biennial 2019, in which specially made works donated by over 200 leading artists will be available to purchase starting from £300.

 
Richard Heaton, CB is a barrister and senior British civil servant who has been the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and Clerk of the Crown in Chancery since 2015. He had previously served as Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary, and First Parliamentary Counsel. Richard is Chair of Trustees at the United St Saviour's Charity, one of Southwark's oldest grant-giving bodies.