A growing number of prominent art dealers across New York, London, Los Angeles, Brussels, and Reykjavik began their careers as artists, not salespeople. Figures like Jack Hanley, Sebastian Gladstone, Börkur Arnarson of i8 Gallery, and the team behind Galerie Sardine (Joe Bradley and Valentina Akerman) all transitioned from studio practice to gallery ownership. The article explores how their firsthand experience as artists shapes their approach to representing others, from patience with the creative process to building artist-centered business models.
This matters because it challenges the traditional divide between artistic creation and commercial dealing, suggesting that artist-dealers may offer more empathetic, sustainable support for emerging talent. As the art market grows increasingly competitive and opaque, these hybrid practitioners bring insider knowledge of artistic struggle and studio culture, potentially redefining what a gallery can be. The trend also reflects a broader shift toward artist-run and project-based spaces that prioritize care over pure commerce.