Archive · 9 Aug 2025
Accidental Art Collector Finds Joy in a Sharaf Painting
Imagine a person who likes art but doesn't want to spend a lot of money on it.
They accidentally became an art collector!
This person was inspired by some paintings in a restaurant.
They liked the artist's style so much that they asked the artist to paint something in their own home.
The person found the whole process fun, even though they were worried about things like shipping costs and taxes.
In the end, they now have two paintings and enjoy their accidental journey into collecting art, finding that art is now 'for their sake'.
An art collector recounts his unexpected journey into the art world.
The author, a dabbler in art, was inspired by paintings in a Copenhagen restaurant.
He commissioned artist Jenny Sharaf to create a painting in his London apartment.
Shipping costs and post-Brexit tariffs presented challenges in art purchases.
The author now owns two Sharaf paintings and enjoys the process of collecting art.
- Who
- Howard Chua-Eoan, a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and art enthusiast, who commissioned artist Jenny Sharaf.
- What
- An opinion piece describing the author's unexpected experience with art collection.
- When
- In recent times, specifically mentioning a visit to a restaurant in May and a painting commission in late July.
- Where
- London and Copenhagen, Denmark
- Why
- The author was inspired by art, facing challenges with art market economics and engaging in a personal art collecting experience.
Challenges in the Art Market
The Pleasure of Owning Art
Impact of tariffs
Challenges in the Art Market
Economic nationalism and tariffs can worsen inflation and threaten job security.
The Pleasure of Owning Art
Not mentioned in the text
- Artist
- Jenny Sharaf
- Location of commissioned painting
- London
- Restaurant that inspired author
- Noma in Copenhagen
- Art Market Decline
- Sales plummeted by 12% last year to $57.5 billion
- Artist's influence
- Cy Twombly, Joan Mitchell, Lee Ufan, Hans Hoffman, Philip Guston, Ad Reinhardt and Gunter Forg