In 2011 Katherine set up Katherine Maginnis Ltd. As a contemporary arts agency specialising in art for interiors, Katherine Maginnis is recognised for its meticulous approach to sourcing and integrating artwork for a varied portfolio of private and commercial clients.
With over 20 years experience in the visual arts industries, the team at Katherine Maginnis has built professional relationships with artists based on an understanding and appreciation of each artist’s individual practice.
Katherine Maginnis is now working closely with President of the British Institute of Interior Design Daniel Hopwood to source and integrate contemporary art for his eclectic range of residential interior design projects.
Katherine Maginnis: I source and integrate artwork for clients for residential and commercial projects. We evaluate the house. We evaluate the client’s space. We have a look at the proportions of the furniture, all the design elements, and we advise on artwork to suit the environment.
I choose abstract work over figurative work because it sits much better with my clients. So if I look at architecture and design and the buildings that I’m working with and the people that I’m collaborating with, they really loan themselves to needing abstract paintings. I’m very meticulous about who I work with, and it’s taken three years to get a collection of artists.
I also like to find artists who can work in different materials and do things quite organically and quite originally. And I’m working with a very interesting artist, Petr Weigl, who works in concretes, porcelains, and he works in each of those disciplines to the same standard.
Petr Weigl: Actually, what’s really wonderful about working with Katherine is she’s a real creative visionary. You couldn’t even say she’s an art consultant. She does much more than that.
And for someone like myself, when I’m being commissioned, we can talk about a project and she understands about the need for either focus on an art piece to jump out of the wall or whether it needs to be more subliminal so that the room flows.
With some of my materials, what I really love to do is to be able to experiment and keep pushing them till I can find something that no longer resembles the material it was when I started.
Katherine: I started working with Minotti London to curate artwork to launch each of their furniture collections and I’ve been doing that now for two years. And our relationship has grown organically really because we have the same integrity and the approach to our clients, the same bespoke personal service.
We work together at concept level with looking at pallets, looking at space. And it’s great because everybody at Minotti London and everybody at Katherine Maginnis has an ability to visualise space as how it will be finished, and therefore we can advise clients according to scale, size, and colour.
Give them the whole experience, give them the whole finished project that all works in synergy. So you have the lighting, you have the furniture, and you have the art.
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