Feature: Cynthia Corbett Gallery

We work with a variety of specialists in order to support our clients, including conservators, insurance brokers and gallerists. In this feature series, we speak with our network to find out more about their role, and promote the work that they do.

Cynthia Valianti Corbett holds a BA in Political Science from UMASS Amherst and a MALD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.  

She was the recipient of the 2020 Tufts University Alumni Award with a Career Service Citation in recognition of her achievements and contribution to the international art world. Cynthia had a high-profile career, before entering the artworld, as an international economist specialising in emerging markets, based in New York and London.  

Cynthia launched her gallery in 2004 and the Young Masters Art Prize in 2009, both supporting an international group of artists at different stages of their career.

Tell us about starting your gallery  

I started my career as an economist and diplomat. In 2000 I followed my passion for art history and studied in a postgraduate programme at Christie’s Education before establishing my gallery in 2004. I wanted to focus on pop-up shows, finding artists and experimenting with curation. I work with many of the artists I discovered in my early years as a gallerist many of whom are now in major public and private collections. In addition, each year we add represented artists to our roster then embark on a partnership with them designed to both nurture their creative interests and assist them with securing Museum exhibitions, acquisitions and high-profile curatorial projects.

Image: Cynthia Valianti Corbett (c) Emma Pratte

Who are some of the artists you work with?   

I work with a variety of artists on an international scale. Working with established artists who desire London representation such as Andy Burgess, Klari Reis and Deborah Azzopardi, who I have been representing since I started my gallery.  I also support more emerging artists at the start (or restart) of their careers.

I founded the Young Masters Art Prize in 2009, which helped me to find more artists, and explore the relationships between contemporary art and art history. I’ve shown artists, such as one of the very first shortlisted artists -  Lluis Barba in 2009 - at prestigious international fairs and exhibitions.  Some of the Young Masters artists have moved to be represented through the gallery, such as ceramicist, textile artist, curator and professor Matt Smith (2014 inaugural winner of the Young Masters Maylis Grand Ceramics Prize) and photographer Isabelle van Zeijl (one of the winners of the inaugural Young Masters Emerging Women Art Prize).  

I am particularly passionate about supporting women artists from all cultural backgrounds and working in a variety of media in different locations internationally.

Do you work with artists and collectors globally?   

Yes, many of our collectors are based in the USA and Europe. I was born and grew up in the USA in a tight knit Italian - American community in Massachusetts, where many of my family still live. Soon after I opened my gallery, I started doing art fairs and exhibitions on both the West and East coasts in the USA, and this allowed me to meet many of the Gallery’s collectors who I am fortunate enough to still have strong relationships with today. 

Image: Deborah Azzopardi, ‘Divided’, 2020. Courtesy of Deborah Azzopardi and Cynthia Corbett Gallery

During the pandemic we pivoted our focus as an online more digital gallery and had many shows and viewing rooms online which allowed even more collectors from all over the world to be able to access work from artists we represent.

Since 2004 we have worked with artists from every part of the world - for me I am passionate about the artists we represent and given my international background both personally and professionally - it is just natural for the Gallery to have a very diverse international stable of artists. 

Additionally, thanks to Zoom, Instagram and other online platforms, it’s now become easier to discover and meet artists in their studios all over the world.   

What was it that you wanted to add to the market with your gallery that was new/different?  

I wanted to find exciting, high quality, bold work that I loved and I knew that my collectors would love too. I think my personality really comes across through the work that I show and the artists that I represent. That’s the hallmark of my gallery; visionary, innovative, and exciting. 
I think the Young Masters artists that we identify, support and work with highlight my connection and knowledge of art history too. Artists have always been inspired by the past and this is certainly the case for contemporary artists working today especially with all the pressures and challenges facing the creative community. 

 It is important for me that our collectors find artworks they want to live with and that will have longevity. I also want to support artists to have the best, most sustainable careers possible.   

Why is it important to you to support artists?  How do you maintain support for them?   

It is very important for me to support artists, it’s one of the many reasons I decided to open my own gallery! I have close relationships with all my artists, continuously supporting them by showing their work as often as possible, highlighting their work to new collectors and institutions, and by promoting their work as often as possible. I try to tailor my support to each artist’s career and help them achieve their own unique ambitions, since each artist will have their own career trajectory.

Could you tell us about the Young Master’s Art Prize?  

In 2009, I founded the Young Masters Art Prize, as a unique, not-for-profit curatorial platform supporting emerging international artists. The Prize celebrates artistic skill and innovation that responds to the art of the past in its widest cultural sense.  

An exciting feature of the Prize is that it’s judged by an independent revolving judging panel that includes renowned art historians, collectors, curators and art professionals. In 2014 the Young Masters Maylis Grand Ceramic Prize was added to focus more attention on the growing interest in the collection of contemporary craft and 2017 saw the launch of the inaugural Young Masters Emerging Women Award, and the fifth edition and 10th Anniversary Exhibition of the Prize took place in October 2019. In 2021 a curatorial platform, Focus on the Female, was developed as an artistic and philanthropic antidote to the disproportionate impact of the COVID pandemic on women. The 6th edition of the Young Masters Art Prize will be taking place from the 3 - 15 of October 2023, to coincide with Frieze London at 67 York Street, Marylebone, London.

Do you encourage artist – collector relationships?  

Yes, I do encourage this as I believe this is vital for collectors to have a relationship with the artists they collect as it adds a deeper meaning to the piece. It’s important for both the collector and also for the artists, and for them to know where their work has gone, the reasons for a collector’s interest and the other art in their collections.

I believe these types of relationships are good for all parties involved: gallery, artist and collector. It’s interesting for the collector to see the development the artists make throughout their career, no matter where in the timeline the artist may be whether at the very start of if the artist is mid-career or more a established part of their career.   

It is especially important when collectors commission pieces - that the relationship between the artist and the collector is close, intimate and trusting - this is such a personal experience. Commissioning should be enjoyable for everyone and ensure that all parties benefit from it as much as possible.

Image: Klari Reis ‘Hypochondria 60’, 2023. Courtesy of Klari Reis and Cynthia Corbett Gallery

 Do you have any dream projects for the future?   

I would love to curate a project with a public institution - preferably an important Museum or public gallery- and bring the Young Masters concept to a global audience through a partnership on the international stage.  

I would also love to work more closely with an international auction house such as Christie’s (my alma mater), Sotheby’s, Phillips or Bonhams to widen my artists’ collector base and showcase them on a platform that creates a dialogue between contemporary artists and the Old Masters. Making the Old - new again and giving a fresh look art historical perspective to what artists are creating NOW.