Art Lover Sigrid Kirk on Her Personal Collection

New Zealand-born, London-based collector Sigrid Kirk wears many hats: art advisor, cultural strategist, independent curator, patron and co-founder of the Association of Women in the Arts (AWITA). Art market website ArtNet speaks with Kirk about her many roles and how they have informed her own collection.

Kirk’s first purchase was a Cathy de Monchaux sculpture.

“I arrived in London from New Zealand in 1997 after completing a master’s degree in the history of art. One of the first shows I saw was a de Monchaux exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery.

“We have three works by Gillian Wearing, which are favourites … We have also recently bought a self-portrait by Wearing, painted during the quiet and loneliness of lockdown, where she has literally and figuratively unpeeled the mask.”

According to its website, “since its formation in February 2016, AWITA’s main focus has been to bring inspirational women together, and this remains our core strength to this day.”

Original article by Lee Carter, ArtNet, July 9, 2023.