Observing Life: Art: to buy or not to buy?

The first time I fell in love with a piece of art, I was about 10 years old.

My father took me to the National Gallery in London and introduced me to the paintings of J M W Turner. Influenced by my dad’s passion and enthusiasm, I learnt to appreciate the colour and lighting in Turner’s work.

The Fighting Temeraire, an image of a battleship against a flaming sunset, was an unusual choice for a young girl, but nonetheless, I still love it to this day.

As I grew, my tastes naturally changed and broadened and, when I moved to the UAE and started covering the art scene here, I came to love Middle Eastern contemporary art.

I am now a huge fan of the many artists who cleverly use abstraction, Islamic geometry or calligraphy in their works: Monir Farmanfarmaian, Samia Halaby, Nasser Al Salem, Kamal Boullatta and eL Seed, to name only a few.

With my job, I have the pleasure of paying very regular visits to galleries and artists’ studios, and often I find myself in the presence of genius. Last month I had the honour of meeting Adam Henein, an 87-year-old Egyptian sculptor whose works are breathtaking, who had me in a trance while I listened to him speak about his process.

Until recently, I never imagined I would actually be able to own any original pieces of art. My view, after asking about them in galleries and seeing the prices ratchet up at auction, was that originals were far out of my price range.

If we are talking about any of the names I mention above, this is probably still true, but there are other ways.

Many artists produce studies, or smaller preparatory pieces for their bigger works that are priced much lower. There are also options to purchase limited editions of some pieces, which although not completely unique are still very much original and, again, much cheaper.

Lately, I have found it really exciting to discover the work of emerging artists. In the UAE, there are now many channels to help you in this process of discovery. Newer galleries, ­artist-run collectives and street-art festivals are a great way to see and buy pieces of original art that will not break the bank.

World Art Dubai at the World Trade Centre will open for its first edition this week. This is the city’s first accessible and affordable art fair, and with 97 booths mostly selling art that ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand dirhams, it is an excellent opportunity to buy your first piece of art.

Yes, they might be slightly more expensive than a print from Ikea but, comparatively, the value far exceeds the small price difference.

Collecting, as with any hobby, starts with that first purchase – and once you get bitten by the art bug, it is difficult to look back.

Whether you buy a piece for sheer beauty, because it moves you, because it references a moment in history or because it reminds you of something, I guarantee that you won’t regret it.

All masters had to start somewhere and there is always the chance that if you purchase a piece of art by a brand-new artist now, he might be the Picasso of the 21st century. But foresightful investments aside, the most important thing about buying a piece of art is that you love it and that it takes pride of place in your home.