The recently appointed director of the National Portrait Gallery began her career at Christie’s and has held various leadership roles throughout her 20-year career in the art world, including her time as the global director of Frieze, where she established Frieze Masters. She is co-founder of the environmental charities Murmur and Gallery Climate Coalition, and has helped launch Artists for ClientEarth, which raised over £6.5m through donations of work by artists including Cecily Brown, Rashid Johnson and Beatriz Milhazes.
She is also a strategic advisor to the Tate and a trustee of Studio Voltaire and the Ampersand Foundation. The National Portrait Gallery has two exhibitions opening this summer: ‘Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting’ (20 June-7 September) and the Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award(10 July-12 October).
My all-time favourite piece of music is Cantique de Jean Racine, which Gabriel Fauré composed when he was just 19. I sang this in a choir as a teenager and it was a joy to return to it as an adult with a singing group made up of London-based artists.
I’m currently reading Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe. I lived in Belfast when I was young, and this balanced account of the Troubles is so gripping and moving.
What's everyone reading?
The greatest television show of all time is The Wire. The script, cast and directing are all extraordinary.
I’m currently watching the BBC adaptation of Wolf Hall. I loved Hilary Mantel’s books and this series has definitely done them justice. The Tudor galleries at the NPG are some of the best loved, and you can see why – those stories!
I have been thinking about the Aristotle quote: ‘Give me a child until seven and I will show you the man.’ The Royal Foundation and the Art Fund have been researching the importance of early years access to culture in building social and emotional skills that last a lifetime. Museums have such an important role to play in this.
A very special place for me is Studio Voltaire in Clapham – I was on the board for many years and saw the vital role it plays in supporting artists and creating a vibrant community.
I have had excellent meals in Toklas. It was opened by Frieze founders Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover, with whom I worked for 20 years. It has an annual citrus dinner [with Valencia’s Todolí Citrus Fundació to celebrate the diversity of the fruits] that is so special, but the food and atmosphere are amazing year-round.
One of my favourite recent moments was at the end of last year, when we had Van Gogh at the National Gallery, Monet at the Courtauld and Francis Bacon at the NPG all at the same time. A plethora of riches.
I have spent some happy weekends in Naples – sometimes visiting Pompeii or taking a boat to one of the islands, but often just walking around the city and stopping to see the Cappella Sansevero and various Caravaggios in between delicious pizzas.
A strong contender for my favourite building is the National Portrait Gallery – my office looks onto its new forecourt and Tracey Emin’s monumental bronze doors.
I am looking forward to Jenny Saville’s first major UK retrospective at the NPG in June. Jenny has been very involved in the show and working with her is wonderful.
