Collector Portrait: Jean-Christian

Lover of all things sculptural, street and Pop art.

Collector Portrait: Jean-Christian - illustration 1

Alain Bertrand, Running wild, 2019

From a very young age, art lover and collector Jean-Christian fostered a passion for contemporary art that blossomed into a collection of more than 40 works, focused around street and Pop art and featuring artistic icons such as Peter Klasen and JonOne and young, emerging talents like Speedy Graphito and Tarek! Dive into Artsper's profile of this passionate and enthusiastic collector!

1. Where does your love and curiosity for art come from? Have you always known that you would become a collector?

I was lucky enough to have parents who introduced me at a very young age to beauty and art through visits to European countries and museums. Their artistic tastes were very classic, but how can you understand modern and contemporary art without a solid understanding of classical painting? Very quickly I became attracted to street art and especially Pop art, with Roy Lichtenstein being my favorite, along with Richard Prince and Hopper. My parents then gifted me for my 50th birthday a painting by Peter Klasen. Starting from then, very simply, I started to establish a collection of paintings and statues. For the latter, I started with tribal statues, which are often close to modern art. 

Collector Portrait: Jean-Christian - illustration 1
Collector Portrait: Jean-Christian - illustration 1

Left: Shauna La, Feather, 2020 / Right: Various sculptures in Jean-Christian's Collection

2. Today, how many works are in your collection? Which medium or style do you have the most of?

I now have around 30 pictorial artworks and around 10 sculptures, including JonOne, Peter Klasen, Speedy Graphito, Joseph, Neno Ramos, Craig Alan, JP Malot, Shauna La, Todd Koelmel, and lots of lesser known French artists. Today I also include works with interesting supports, such as a painted letter box or other original mediums such as Jérôme Mesnager's work.

3. What does your collection bring to your interior? Where do you exhibit your artworks? 

I exhibit my works in a large, new and bright apartment, which perfectly suits the New York loft decor that I have created over the years. I have always prioritized the cost of the heart over the cost of the work, and I installed the art with the perspective of decoration and pleasure. I put art everywhere, and playing music also contributes to the ambiance of a space.

Collector Portrait: Jean-Christian - illustration 1
Collector Portrait: Jean-Christian - illustration 1

Left: Speedy Graphito, Les fleurs du mâle, 2015 / Right: Various sculptures in Jean-Christian's Collection

4. You buy art very regularly on Artsper, what are the main advantages of buying art online? 

Of course, it is very difficult to know all the galleries, even when visiting them, through the exhibitions or at the FIAC when I lived in Paris. Artsper makes it possible to make a thematic link with the works exhibited in the galleries. Just this morning I needed a small painting for the back-kitchen and a can of soup with a twist by Tarek seemed fitting for a Pop Art context.

5. Finally, what advice would you give someone who is interested in starting an art collection? 

To start collecting you must be motivated, have taste and follow your instinct rather than your rational side. Indeed, how wonderful it is in the morning to walk through one's corridor with this warm presence of works on the walls, to arrive in a large room where paintings, sculptures and art of living are intermingled. These are more feelings than reasons. I often think back to Marcel Duchamp's definition of art: "any everyday object that no longer serves its purpose is art"!



Their favorite artworks

Painting, Marilyn Monroe in Purple, Joaquim Falcó

Marilyn Monroe in Purple

Joaquim Falcó

Painting - 100 x 100 x 4 cm

$1,920

Painting, Power Points, Erró

Power Points

Erró

Painting - 60 x 45 x 2 cm

$3,953

Sculpture, Chien 3, Thierry Dehais

Chien 3

Thierry Dehais

Sculpture - 32 x 23 x 11 cm

Sold

Sculpture, Fer et bois, Olivier de Sagazan

Fer et bois

Olivier de Sagazan

Sculpture - 97 x 20 x 16 cm

$3,953

Painting, Running wild, Alain Bertrand

Running wild

Alain Bertrand

Painting - 81 x 100 x 3 cm

Sold

Painting, Bananas 2 (HPM ed. of 10), Todd Koelmel

Bananas 2 (HPM ed. of 10)

Todd Koelmel

Painting - 50.8 x 63.5 x 3.3 cm

$750

Painting, Oh, Roy (HPM ed. of 10), Todd Koelmel

Oh, Roy (HPM ed. of 10)

Todd Koelmel

Painting - 53.3 x 53.3 x 3.3 cm

Sold

Painting, Bouche - Inflammable, Peter Klasen

Bouche - Inflammable

Peter Klasen

Painting - 61 x 50 x 2 cm

Sold

Painting, Avengers, Franck Lloberes

Avengers

Franck Lloberes

Painting - 130 x 90 x 2.5 cm

$5,647

Painting, Young Wonder Woman in Love with Superman., Dillon Boy

Young Wonder Woman in Love with Superman.

Dillon Boy

Painting - 122 x 92 x 3 cm

Sold

Painting, Believe, Joseph

Believe

Joseph

Painting - 120 x 90 x 6 cm

$4,065

Painting, Happy boy, Speedy Graphito

Happy boy

Speedy Graphito

Painting - 75 x 56 x 4 cm

$9,599

Painting, Sortie de voiture/Cible, Peter Klasen

Sortie de voiture/Cible

Peter Klasen

Painting - 146 x 97 x 2 cm

$28,233