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For Lydia, the art world has never been just about spectacle. Its about substance, curiosity, connection and care. Sanderson gallery has become a quiet authority, shaping how collectors in Auckland engage with art; encouraging a slower, more emotionally attuned approach and a focus on building a relationship between the artist, their artworks, and the audience.
Lydia’s path into gallery life was anything but linear. After training at art school and working as a commercial photographer, Lydia found herself yearning for the academic side of art and exhibition making. While completing a degree in art history, she was drawn into the curatorial world through a friend working at the Auckland Museum and creating shows for younger artists at a local gallery. Assisting on small, emerging artist exhibitions proved transformative. “I loved the work,” she recalls. “That was the moment I realised I wanted to work in galleries, and to put on exhibitions to support artists.”
Over the past two decades, Lydia’s career has spanned galleries in both the public and commercial sectors in Aotearoa and London. It was working in the public galleries that shaped her understanding of art’s social impact, and at just 26, a job as Gallery Manager at the Hoxton Art Gallery in east London sparked her interest in small business in the arts and set her on the path to where she is now.
“At the core I want to work with integrity and to give artist’s practices’ the respect and reverence they deserve” she says.
Lydia’s philosophy is rooted in respect and care. She describes her role with artists as a nurturing one, which balances encouragement and inspiration with challenge.
“My vision is to have a balance between the traditional representational model with more innovative, artist-centric programming” she explains.
“For me, the gallery is not just a selling space, but a space for dialogue and connection, a place to challenge people’s perceptions and encourage viewers to really reflect on their own beliefs and values.”
And since most art collectors purchase from either commercial galleries or auction houses, galleries like Sanderson play an integral role in shaping todays collecting culture. Lydia is acutely aware of this responsibility. “We choose who is showcased and so ultimately what ends up in people’s homes. The collectors often look to us for inspiration and guidance on what to buy” she says. “We tend to have a good relationship with the public galleries so collectors who see an artist in a public show are delighted if they are able to purchase a work by that same artist from us.”
The gallery also supports the shift from traditional sales spaces to hybrid spaces, leaning into Instagram and online which now play a pivotal role in how contemporary collectors engage with art. Lydia talks about a demographic shift – a rise in ‘Next-Gen’ collectors, with millennials and Gen Z reportedly making up three quarters of the world’s collector base, as well as a measurable rise in female art collectors, outspending their male counterparts and actively reshaping the global art market.
“Its an interesting shift” says Lydia, “What I love about it is unlike the older generations who purportedly prioritized ‘trophy’ acquisitions, a high percentage of contemporary collectors are citing emotional connection as their primary motivation for purchasing.”
PICTURED : Lydia in the lounge of her home in Devonport with a large painting by Loren Marks and two paintings by Korean artist Ha Young Kim. Dress by Standard Issue, Earrings by Jasmine Sparrow.
In conversations at the gallery, Lydia often asks clients how a piece makes them feel and how they connect with it.
For her, meaningful collecting begins with intuition and resonance – knowing an artist’s background and their life story, changes the lens through which you see their work.
“If an artwork holds some investment value, that’s an added bonus,” she says “but I don’t think it should be the primary reason for collecting.”
Lydia is mindful of long-standing perceptions that galleries are exclusive or intimidating. She recalls visiting an exhibition by Radiohead at the Ashmolean Museum in the UK, where collaborators Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood discussed their view that record shops are a more 'democratic gallery' as opposed to the traditional art galleries.
While she appreciated the sentiment, being a music-lover herself, Lydia feels the landscape has evolved. “Art collecting is more accessible than ever,” she says “I think galleries are increasingly becoming more approachable. At Sanderson it’s really important to us that our environment feels welcoming and inclusive.”
When asked for advice on those beginning their collecting journey, Lydia advocates balance: between emerging and established artists, and building long-term relationships with galleries and artists helps to shape this journey.
“I think it’s important that you grow in confidence with collecting” she says “you will begin to know what you connect with and where you find meaning and joy. This aids building a collection that holds personal and long term value.”
Lydia’s own collection tells such a story. She and her partner, Jeremy, began collecting in their twenties. What started organically has become a living archive of their lives.
Among the works she treasures most are two watercolours by her Grandfather and her mother that hang in her bedroom, pieces by Ha Young Kim, a Korean artist she represented in London, a print by James Jean purchased for their daughter Ella, and a textile work by Areez Katki.
More recent acquisitions include works from Sanderson artists - a pair of ceramic feet by Josephine Cachemaille, a work on paper by Natasha Wright, a painting by Loren Marks, ceramics by Julia Holderness and a blue coloured pencil work by Stephen Ellis.
“It’s an occupational hazard,” she laughs “the list keeps growing.”
Lydia’s approach feels refreshingly grounded. Her commitment to integrity, authenticity, and long-term relationships has shaped Sanderson into more than a gallery – its a space for connection, full of stories waiting to be told.
Sanderson
Osborne Lane, 2 Kent Street
Tags: Art, Interviews
