Collector's portrait: Maguelone D.

Collector's portrait: Maguelone D.

from January 20, 2022

In the heart of Paris' very chic 8th arrondissement, between the arabesques of the Salle Pleyel and the hustle and bustle of the Place de l'Etoile, lies Maguelone's superb family flat, where she lives with her husband and their two boys. In this Haussmannian cocoon, the former Marketing Director of Hyatt Hotels, a keen photographer and contemporary art enthusiast has created a veritable collection of works over the years, which she chooses according to her whims. Among the fairs and galleries that she follows and visits, Envie d'Art has occupied a place of choice for years since she counts no less than seven artists from the gallery in her collection.

Generally, Maguelone discovers artists she likes at contemporary art fairs or galleries that range from Camera Obscura or Galerie XII, to Envie d'Art, which is next door to where she lives. "I am particularly attracted by photography and the quality of the prints, having done a lot of photography myself in the past, but I can also be won over by drawings or engravings if I like the works! I like soft colours, black and white, simplicity; surrounding myself with softness in short. My husband gives me a lot of freedom in the choice of works, and even if he sometimes has personal favorites, we often agree. I think I'm naturally drawn to works that are reminiscent of childhood. When I started photography, I mostly took pictures of my children, it's a theme that inspires me a lot. It goes hand in hand with dreams, I like dreamlike works that tell stories while letting the imagination run free. In fact, I am more sensitive to works that have a figurative part and an abstract part, which we can interpret as we wish. Finally, I have many works that evoke travel, photographs of cities where we have lived, that we love (New York, Tokyo, London...) or even landscapes such as the desert of Morocco or the great spaces of Arizona. Nature also has a strong place in the art I collect because it is an easy way to escape from a Parisian flat."

So far, there are seven artists who have touched Maguelone at Envie d'Art: "I have works by two photographers, Cat Vinton, whose eye has followed nomadic peoples in very spare landscapes, and Gandee Vasan, whose ability to capture emotions in animals impresses me greatly. I also really like Peter Keizer's flowery and vibrant paintings, Tony Soulié's mix of photography and painting, and recently I became a fan of Vinça Monadé's small abstract pastels. These are the only entirely abstract works I own but they punctuate my photo sets with colour as well as working on their own. Finally, I never cease to be drawn to the delicate and childlike prints of Atsuko Ishii. I don't hesitate to buy them for gifts, as well as the small formats of Richard Heeps, which I like very much even if I don't have any in my own collection yet." To read more collectors' portraits, susbcribe to our newsletter!