Jiggy Rawal is a modern-day treasure hunter. But before images of Indiana Jones spring to mind, it should be said that Jiggy’s job involves sourcing the rarest, the most exclusive and frequently the most valuable collectables in the world on behalf of her high net-worth clients.
Londoner Jiggy – known as ‘The Curatist’, is on a mission to show us that wealth can be created in many ways and that an object of desire can not only bring pleasure and enjoyment but also leave a lasting legacy for loved ones.
Luxurious Magazine’s Sabi Phagura caught up with Jiggy to get an insight into her exciting career,
LM: Jiggy, you describe yourself as a Curatist. This is not a job description most people would recognise. Could you tell us what your work involves?
JR: If I asked you to close your eyes, go back to your childhood and early twenties, to think about the items you dreamed of owning, what would you say? What was it about the item that drew you to it?
What memories did it bring back for you? Now, did you get a small warm feeling for a moment?
Did it put a brief, small smile on your face? Well, that’s what my business, The Curatist, is all about creating those amazing memories whilst preserving wealth.
I focus on building a story and creating an individual’s personal legacy through the purchase of collectables that they are passionate about.
LM: Could you give some tips on how to start buying and investing in art and alternative investments?
JR: My recommendation for anyone looking to start buying art or any other form of collectables is ‘love it first’. The biggest mistake a person could make is to buy something in the hope that it goes up in value. Art and alternative investments are about an individual’s passions first and foremost.
They have to hold meaning and relevance to you as a person. Once you know what your passion is, then you’re ready to go exploring the world.
Research the marketplace to get to know and understand what’s happening within it. Review the cycles to see where it’s currently at. Read about the brand and understand the artist, etc.
LM: What is it about alternative investments that have value over putting your money in bricks and mortar or on the stock market?
JR: The thing about buying ‘passion assets’ is that it’s just that they are your passions. They are a reflection of you and tell a story about you. They have meaning to you and mark a moment in your life.
So, you can look at them and enjoy them today. They tend to give you a tingle and make you smile. These items will remain generally long after you are gone but they will have significant stories and memories behind them. The value can’t be placed on these memories in the same monetary form as stocks and shares.
Cash investments such as bricks and mortar and shares will be disposed of over time to fund other activities and life requirements; however, these passion assets will be the last thing an individual would consider disposing of.
The emotional enjoyment of owning and sharing beautiful items is just as important as their cash value. It acknowledges the importance of emotions and their history, invokes the senses and displays the story of a life well lived.
Whilst with the stocks markets and property markets, we pay focus to their prices, the thrill of driving and owning an iconic classic car or wearing a piece of history itself with a watch or jewellery far outweighs the satisfaction of an increase in value.
LM: What makes a good investment collectable?
JR: Provenance, provenance, provenance. It’s all about provenance first and then brand name, which bestows credibility. Rarity is important, too. The rarer the item, the greater its value, so limited editions are ideal, but do check they are really limited editions in low numbers.
The condition of the item and the more original it is, the higher the value. Is there a story behind the item? Then, it’s very much dependent on the item itself. For example, with a watch, the movement is key.
The market trend is also important. The Nautilus by Patek is a lovely watch but very much of the Art Deco time. It went out of fashion, but as Art Deco jewellery came back in, the price rose tremendously.
LM: What makes you different to other curators?
JR: Traditional curators focus on one part of a person’s collection, such as art. It’s all about building collections of substantial significance, stature and provenance.
The Curatist is about focusing on the individuals themselves, to begin with, and then building a story about them through the use of collectables.
LM: What makes a good exhibition? What recent exhibitions have resonated with you?
JR: Great exhibitions are created when visitors walk around in awe of almost every piece, and the eclectic collections come together to tantalise and stimulate your mind as you walk through them.
When you walk through, you can look at most pieces and resonate with them. The pieces should draw you to them very easily. Some of the exhibitions that I loved last year include the Masterpiece Fair and then the London Masters at the London Frieze.
If you’re unsure of what type of art grabs you, the Masterpiece Fair is a great place to start.
The fair has been running for eight years at the Royal Chelsea Hospital. The fair brings together the art world in its entirety—artwork, sculptures, antiquities, paintings, drawings to jewellery, both antique and new.
Walking through the Masterpiece fair, you will feel like you are travelling and globe-trotting at the same time as everything sits side by side at the exhibition.
LM: What should you look for before buying your first painting? What do you look for in an artist and their work?
JR: Before buying art, I would ask you to ask yourself a few questions first. The first of the questions is key in the decision-making process.
Does the piece have an emotional meaning to you? Are you drawn to it? Does it easily guide your eyes through the story it’s telling? Do you understand the piece? What does it stand for and represent? Does the piece stimulate your senses through either colour, texture or material? Is it thought-provoking?
What’s unique about the piece that makes it so different and stands out to you? Is there a style or process the artist has created to make it different? Is this the artist’s own original style or is he/she building on previous artist’s works or a movement of that time? Understand the artist’s history and background.
After all that, I would not recommend any hasty decisions. If the piece lingers in your mind after you’ve left it, then it’s probably the piece for you.
LM: Do you work with emerging artists and designers? Who should we look out for?
JR: I love seeing the work of emerging artists, and believe me, there’s a lot of unrecognised talent out there.
Art is a very subjective, and sadly often the success of the modern day artist is based upon how good their representation is, securing exhibitions and being selected by prominent galleries.
To achieve an exhibition of significance, the artist has to show a retrospective of their work. This is challenging as in order to do this, the artist has to be able to support him/herself over the period and this can take years to achieve.
LM: What are some of the more unusual things that people have in their collections?
JR: Collections can be of almost anything. I’ve known individuals to collect buttons, pin badges, bottle tops, and movie posters. All are based on a person’s passion. Buttons can go from a few pennies to a few hundred pounds in value!
LM: Are you a collector of art yourself?
JR: I have bought a number of works of art for my home. Regardless of their investment potential, I have collected pieces which tell the story of my life and reflect my taste and style.
Jiggy Rawal – Where and How?
For a free consultation with Jiggy, e-mail jiggy@thecuratist.co.uk or go to www.thecuratist.co.uk.