Sandra Song

[Singapore Gallery Month](https://agas.org.sg/articles/press-release-singapore-gallery-month-2024/) is just around the corner, and [Cohart](https://www.cohart.com) is taking part in this annual celebration by collaborating with young Singaporean collector [Laura Peh](https://www.cohart.com/u/lauraroseivy) on a [virtual video tour](https://youtu.be/uVAZYftXnY4) of her own collection. 

Writer & Publisher Laura Peh Brings Us Into Her Singapore Home To Show Her Art | Cohart Selects #8

The founder of an independent publishing house called Cinnamon Art Publishing, the millennial multi-hyphenate is also an accomplished author and musician with a love of art history and contemporary practices. And as a staunch believer in art’s ability to paint a holistic picture of the past, present, and future, Laura is particularly interested in art that provides poignant sociocultural commentary on regions like Southeast Asian, Latin America, and the Middle East, where rich traditions intersect with rapid economic growth. 

Although she obtained a Masters in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Laura isn’t a “savvy investor,” but rather, curious about the story and motive behind the creation of each artwork. Explaining that she uses a combination of her eye, research, and intuition to pick out pieces, she’s clear about having little interest in purchasing based on financial value or potential worth. Instead she views her diverse collection as a visual archive of sorts, where she’s able to document her own personal journey and reflect on her evolution as an individual through work that touches her on a more meaningful level.

So, as part of a new vanguard of young collectors who value connection over dollars and cents, we wanted to hear more about Laura’s refreshing outlook on art collection, while taking a look at a couple pieces that illustrate her philosophy and approach. Read our Cohart Q&A with Laura, alongside two picks from her private collection below.

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##### How did your journey as an art collector begin? 

I fell into the visual arts when I moved to Paris at the age of 15 to study music. This was when I began visiting the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay three times a week during the late hours when tour groups were gone. Looking at masterpieces in a quiet environment had a great impact on me. 

A distinct episode happened when I was 17: I was alone in a museum with Monet's “Impression, Soleil Levant.” Suddenly, I felt a wave of light radiating from the painting and illuminating the space around me. It was a sensation that I had never felt before. For 10 minutes, I stood alone facing the painting. This moment was when I knew that art had the ability to touch your soul.

##### What does collecting mean to you? 

Collecting is a continuous journey of change and lifelong learning about different cultures, societies, ideologies and sociopolitical developments. To me, a collection reflects the personality of the collector. It is one way of creating a temporary archive to accompany us on our evolution as an individual. The beauty of having a long-term view when collecting is that you can look back and see yourself develop in a way that you wouldn’t otherwise have known. 

##### Has your taste changed over the years? 

Yes. My wish is that the collection will grow and develop in tandem with my personal life journey. I evolve quickly and very often, I feel like I am only just beginning to experience life. I used to be drawn to experimental, minimalist and conceptual art, but as I discover more about the world, I feel closer to artists who present challenging narratives about pressing global issues. 

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##### How would you describe your personal art collection? 

At this moment, I am focusing on artists that work around sociopolitical narratives from three regions: Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. I am curious about these regions that have long histories and rich cultures, but also rapid economic developments and exciting contemporary arts scenes. 

##### How do you balance your personal taste and preferences with potential investment value?

When I was starting out, I did assess the investment value of artworks. As I grew older and traveled more for art, my priorities in life changed, and I no longer look at investment value. A good artwork is timeless, impactful and will be historically important in the future. I have learnt to trust my eye, research and intuition. Only time will tell if I have made the right choices - not in terms of financial value but inclusion in respected public and private collections.

##### What excites you about Cohart’s mission? 

The accessibility, opportunities and network that Cohart creates for artists and collectors. I love the cross-industry initiatives with the fashion, sports, and entertainment worlds. It introduces people to art and inspires more collaborations, which is always wonderful as lives can be changed.

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**Envelope (short attack)** · Ting-Jung Chen · _Papier-mâché, newspaper_

This papier-mâché buoy by Taiwanese artist Ting-Jung Chen is made from political newspapers found around the world, and takes the shape of navigation buoys used to demarcate a body of water. It was part of a larger sound installation, the result of the artist’s field research in the Kinmen Islands between mainland China and Taiwan, whose waters remain a subject of territorial dispute. In the context of Kinmen, buoys carry historical significance being border markers for both mainland China and Taiwan. It is paradoxical as the buoy will never fulfil the mission of floating on water, but rather, become the testimony to the psychological tension overshadowing the islands’ strategic location.

**En algún desierto** · Aileen Gavonel · _Ceramic_

This ceramic piece was made by Peruvian artist Aileen Gavonel, who works primarily with ceramics and draws upon ancestral memories in her native country. The work is part of a larger work titled La Tierra Pérdida, translating to The Lost Land, which is about lost civilisations and the big question - "Is there a civilisation that is not lost?". En algún desierto depicts the coastal desert in northern Peru. Referencing the ocean as a deity and a place of exchange, pre-Incan civilisations developed a nautical tradition where sailing naturally on those currents would bring you to Polynesia. It alludes to the displacement of indigenous people and disappearing cities, and their fight against climate change and economic development.

>The beauty of having a long-term view when collecting is that you can look back and see yourself develop in a way that you wouldn’t otherwise have known.

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Cohart collaborates with young Singaporean collector Laura Peh on a virtual video tour of her own collection. 

Singaporean Collector Laura Peh on Learning About the World Through Art Collecting

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