FAI KHADRA: THE DESIGNER ART LOVER COLLABORATES WITH SOTHEBY’S
Fai was born in L.A. and raised between London and Dubai. He’s the son of an art collector and the older brother of infamous DJ duo Simi & Haze.
Since graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in architecture, Fai has bridged his passion for design with music, fashion and, of course, art, creating incredible stage design for the likes of Drake, Syd, Summer Walker, A$AP Ferg and Buddy, and collaborating with fashion houses including, Dior, Alexander Wang, Moncler and Louis Vuitton. A musician in his own right, Fai’s also been featured on projects by Blood Orange and The Internet.
Sotheby’s is collaborating with Fai Khadra , the model, influencer and multi-disciplinary artist for the next instalment of Contemporary Curated in London. Beyond his own work, Fai has a crazy passion for art – addicted to exhibitions, artist documentaries, researching, finding new talent via social media, and learning from those around him (Kim Jones, for instance, introduced him to the Bloomsbury group).
He’s a lover of art dating to all periods – after recently visiting the Villa Borghese in Rome he developed a newfound appreciation for Bernini – though is predominantly drawn to contemporary works as he says they often encompass all the universes into one.
Who are your favourite artists?
That’s like asking, what’s your favourite movie? It’s an impossible question. But I’m always drawn to artists who have broken or pushed boundaries in some way, who feel extremely new or brave in their practice. I’ve always admired contemporary artists like Joseph Beuys, Bruce Nauman, David Hammonds, Kara Walker, Shigeko Kubota – but you can’t forget about the masters like Picasso, Rembrandt, Monet, Da Vinci, Van Gogh. See why it’s an impossible question? They have all pushed us in new directions of thought. Thinking and seeing the world, they were not always accepted at first but that is what being radical means.
George Condo, Girl in Striped Dress, 2001
How do you find out about artists who interest you?
From going to shows at museums or gallery exhibits – I have to see something in person before it makes a pronounced impact on me. For example, I was familiar with Julie Mehretu’s work, but it wasn’t until I saw her recent LACMA show when I truly realised what a master she is in making such large-scale multi-layered works. For me, so much of my understanding evolves from a personal interaction with the work that I just don’t feel remotely.
Do you consider yourself a collector?
I do consider myself a collector in that I love purchasing artwork for my home so that I can live alongside it – but I don’t have, say, storage units that I keep artworks in as investments. In fact, I just acquired a Sterling Ruby stalagmite from Sotheby’s to install in my new home – It is huge but I had to live with it. As a result, I’ve had to cut out a piece of the roof, but I’ve always been a huge fan of his work so to get that piece felt like an important step. Just as artists push themselves to do something new I feel it is important sometimes to buy out of your comfort zone whether that is size, budget, subject. Great artworks and artists can be challenging in many ways. I think Ruby’s stalagmite pieces are some of his best works, because they were so ambitious – so it is more than worth the extra renovation.
Tom Wesselmann, Claire, 1992
What advice would you give to new collectors?
I think the most important advice for any collector, new or old, is simply to buy something that you feel you could live with forever. I never buy things thinking about how it might appreciate – because, if you’re living alongside something, it ought to make you truly happy every day. Nothing is going to give me that feeling simply because of its market price.
Has your taste in art changed over time?
I think my taste will continuously change, but I will always admire work that pushes boundaries or provokes strong feelings. I’m not particularly engaged with work that is simply aesthetic; I am far more inclined to work that makes me feel uncomfortable or pushes me to reconsider the world it reflects or engages with. A few years ago, at Art Basel, I came across Doreen Garner: a young Black artist from Brooklyn who had made an amazing neon sculpture which looked somewhat like meat hanging. It was gruesome from afar but then, when you came close, it was made of of these beautiful pearls. I discovered that she had created the piece in response to the development of modern gynaecology by James Marion Sims, and how he had exploited and tortured the bodies of Black women in the name of scientific discovery because he didn’t believe they could feel pain. It was an extremely difficult work, but the way that she was able to translate that inhumanity into something so compelling, so beautiful, and thus confront her audience with it, was incredibly impressive.
What makes Contemporary Curated an interesting collaboration for you?
I think that it’s both important and exciting to engage a younger audience with collecting contemporary art; it’s a field that can feel so impenetrable, so entirely unattainable to so many people. I’d love to be able to open the door a little bit to a new generation for whom it has felt exclusive and invite them to personally interact with the pieces.
When did your interest in art begin?
I’ve always been interested in art – and my parents are also collectors, so it’s probably an inherited trait. I was lucky enough to grow up in London, where my school would take us to exhibits at places like the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Tates, or the Natural History Museum from a very young age. I think that’s what’s beautiful about growing up in a city like London: there is so much art and culture happening around you constantly that you are able to come face to face with it from a young age.
Bill Viola, Ablutions, est. £60,000-80,000
If you could save one artwork from destruction, what would it be?
It would have to be the Mona Lisa. Because, although it’s not my personal favourite, I love what a profound cultural impact it has – it gets people moving towards art; visiting the Louvre has become almost like a pilgrimage. So that’s the one that has to get saved.
If you could take any five artists – dead or alive – to dinner who would they be?
Andy Warhol, Marcel Duchamp, Jackson Pollock, Walter De Maria and Frida Kahlo. I’d make my famous roast chicken.
We’ve been living in bizarre times of recent, how have you kept yourself engaged in art and culture?
I watched a lot of documentaries about artists – I loved the Duchamp documentary, The Art Of The Possible because it gave such a direct insight into his importance in the evolution of contemporary art, and a Richter documentary which really explores his material process.
Mohamed Melehi, Untitled, est. £55,000-65,000
How do you think the digital landscape is changing the art world, and do you like digital art?
I think there has been a wealth of incredibly good video art recently from artists like Kahlil Joseph and Arthur Jafa. Besides the conversations that their work provokes, I think that the very existence of their sorts of pieces raise interesting questions about ownership. I also think that it’s interesting observing artists deciding whether or not to engage with the digital landscape – for example, looking at someone like Richard Prince, who isn’t even of the digital generation, but still uses social media in such a clever way for his works.
You grew up in London, lived in the middle east, and now live in LA. How has your upbringing influenced your taste in art?
By being able to move to and live in different places, I’ve been exposed to so many different types of art: from Islamic art to more traditional Western art – and then, finally, contemporary art, which I feel most comfortable with because I feel it can encompass all the universes into one. I’ve also been lucky to build friendships with different people who have taught me a lot about different artists. Kim Jones, introduced me to groups of artists I didn’t know so much about before, like the Bloomsbury set. I think exposure is key; the more you immerse yourself in different artistic eras, or cultures, the more you can understand your personal taste.
