The Future is Paper: A Panel Discussion on New Models of Collecting and Representation
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Nimi Soirée: The Future is Paper
Tuesday, May 12th, 6:30pm, Century Club London, 61-63 Shaftesbury Ave, London W1D 6LQ
Prints, drawings, photography and works on paper have long been described as the entry point to collecting and a way for artists to reach new audiences. Yet the medium carries its own intimacy, its own history, and increasingly its own infrastructure: platforms, art fairs, and curated programmes that may look very different from the traditional gallery model.
On the occasion of the London Original Print Fair, Photo London, and the Drawing Room Biannual, Nimi brings together four voices shaping the future of paper as both a medium and a market. From traditional galleries to alternative platforms, collectors, and institutional voices, this conversation brings together perspectives from across the art ecosystem to explore how works on paper continue to evolve both as a medium and as a market: how they are collected, contextualised, and positioned within today’s shifting art landscape.
Speakers include:
Phoebe Liu
Phoebe has been working in Sotheby's for eight years, holding different roles through Old Master Drawings, Impressionist and Modern Art, and now, Sotheby's Collectors Group, where she advises clients on cross-category collecting, ranging from Fine Art to Design furniture to luxury items.
With a professional background spanning Old Master Drawings, Impressionist & Modern Art, and academic background is in Renaissance Culture and Art History, her practice bridges historical scholarship and contemporary collecting behaviour.
Katie Robyns
Collector and patron whose family collection spans classical, modern, and contemporary works across multiple media, with a strong focus on works on paper. A long-term supporter of emerging artists and institutions including the Royal Drawing School, she has also curated and loaned over 50 works to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business London campus in the exhibition Unapologetically.
Vittoria Beltrame
Curator, writer, and advisor dedicated to championing artists whose creative vision and talent deserve global recognition. Her practice is guided by a deep fascination with transhistorical themes, which informs her appreciation for diverse art movements and the enduring forms of talent they embody.
She has lectured at Christie’s Education and curated exhibitions for galleries internationally, including Bonhams, Soho Revue and Wilder Gallery among others. Beltrame oversees the residency program founded and hosted by Soho Revue, offering support to emerging artists. Most recently, she founded Carta Magna, a nomadic art platform dedicated exclusively to showcasing works on paper.
Alice Irwin
Award-winning artist working across sculpture and printmaking, known for her bold visual language that sits between figuration and abstraction. Childhood experiences, games, and shared memories surface throughout her sculptures and prints, forming a vibrant conversation between past and present. Graduated from the RCA in 2018, Alice has exhibited widely, including institutional presentations at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery, Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, Gillian Jason Gallery and Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and continues to develop major public commissions.
Together, they will explore why paper, why now, and what collectors and artists alike should be paying attention to. Expect a candid conversation on alternative models of artist representation, the rising relevance of prints and works on paper, and what it means to begin or deepen a collection today.
Nimi is London's social club for art and culture, founded on the belief that the best conversations happen over shared discovery and that art has the power to instil empathy. In its first year, Nimi has hosted over 150 sold-out gatherings, bringing together thousands of Londoners across Gallery Strolls, Secret Salons, Dinner Clubs, and panel discussions like this one. The club partners with over 100 museums, galleries, and institutions across London, alongside a thriving community of artists, curators, and collectors. Nimi also collaborates on curatorial programming with Soho House, Century Club, and other leading social clubs, all in service of a single mission: to bring like-minded people together over a shared love of art.
The discussion will be moderated by Anh Nguyen, founder of Nimi. Prior to founding Nimi, Anh spent over a decade as a senior leader in finance and private equity. Outside of her work at Nimi, she is a patron of the arts, a trustee of the Institute of International Visual Arts (Iniva), and a member of the Design Museum's Enterprise Committee.
Why paper? Why now? And what does it mean to look at the medium with fresh eyes?
