My first solo exhibition took place.
It was an unforgettable experience.
It all happened in October 2024. I was offered to contact the Nata Watts Gallery, which is located in a beautiful historical part of Copenhagen with a large flow of tourists. If you are in the central part of Copenhagen, be sure to visit Nata’s gallery.
Nata is also an artist and has lived in Denmark for a long time. She creates gorgeous paintings and is a wonderful and open person herself.
When I brought all my paintings to the gallery, we were at a loss. The paintings were so different that it seemed impossible to combine them into groups to place on the walls. The thing is, I did not prepare a thematic exhibition. In the current situation, without a studio, this is impossible for me. Therefore, I simply collected the small number of paintings that were brought from Ukraine and those that had already been painted by that time. But Nata is such an experienced gallery owner that she managed to arrange my paintings very successfully. And even I looked at them differently.
We were hanging the paintings for about five hours. You can see the result in a short video report here
The most pleasant thing about the exhibition was the presence of my artist friends. I did not invite them in person, but I posted an announcement about the exhibition on Facebook. And many responded and came to support me. And of course, if my family had not helped me, the exhibition would not have happened at all. 15 years is quite a long way. The support of loved ones gives strength and energy. It is too important when you hear encouraging words from your family, and they are proud of you. It was not always like this, but I was able to prove to myself and my family that I am an artist, that exhibitions and the fact that my paintings are seen are so important to me.
The most important conclusions that I made during the solo show:
- The duration of the exhibition should not be more than a week. The purchases of paintings are mainly made in the first three days. Sometimes on the day of the exhibition closing. The shorter the exhibition, the better it will encourage the collector to buy.
- Personal contacts of the gallery owner’s collectors are important. Each gallery owner should have a list of collectors whom he invite to exhibitions. These are guaranteed sales.
- The artist’s presence at the opening of the exhibition is mandatory. All collectors will want to meet and talk.
- It is important to use all mass media to attract collectors. If the exhibition is not covered in the press, on the radio, or on social media, then no one will come except for the closest ones.
- Only the artist knows and can tell the story of each of his paintings. And this in turn leads to the purchase of your work. Collectors buy your story, not just image.
- Make tags for each painting in advance, where all the information about it will be indicated: title, technique, size, year of painting. You can also make QR codes with links to the history of each painting.
- Be sure to be polite and friendly with each visitor to the exhibition. This is your networking, and each visitor is a potential collector of your paintings.
Overall, I am happy with my first solo show. There were some mistakes that I will try to avoid next time. Hope my second Solo will be coming soon.
