The art consultant, who advises private collectors, museums and designers on buying and selling great works of art worldwide, is now bringing that expertise and experience and those international connections to his role as the new chairman of the Jersey Arts Trust.
Mr Hewat-Jaboor divides his time between his Jersey home and business trips abroad and he spoke about his new role before setting off on visits to London and New York.
Tucked away in the backwaters of St Lawrence, the home of Mr Hewat-Jaboor is filled with works of art in his own collection. The library where he likes to relax and read is bathed in light from the sloping skylights and wherever you look there are beautiful objects.
It’s his favourite room and one that contains specially-commissioned work, such as the stone floors inlaid with marble from Syria and Turkey as well as the bookshelves which are brimming with works on everything from architecture and furniture to decoration and antiquities.
The bookshelves also serve to support a collection of rare and incredibly beautiful works including columns of porphyry, ancient artefacts from Rome and Egypt, which sit alongside bowls by contemporary sculptor Stephen Cox – whose monolithic stone sculptures also adorn the equally beautiful garden. The garden, incidentally, that he opens periodically to raise funds for St John Ambulance and which also contains a selection of fine artworks.
While he is extremely busy in his artworld business, he is also very much looking forward to his new role in the Jersey Arts Trust, following former chairman Alan Le Breton, and working with its director Tom Dingle.
‘I’m incredibly excited to be taking this on. Tom is bubbling with ideas and I’m looking forward to building on what’s gone before. I’m very keen to build on that incredibly good foundation,’ said Mr Hewat-Jaboor. ‘I believe very strongly in what Tom is trying to do and through my work and contacts I can benefit that. There are tremendously exciting possibilities.’
Mr Hewat-Jaboor is also a curator and chairman of Masterpiece London, a company that deals with objects and artworks such as paintings, ceramics, rare maps, sculpture, and more. This knowledge of the art world and global networks is a valuable asset and one that he hopes will bring more exposure to the trust and Jersey.
‘I live here and believe that people should give something back to the Island and do what they can to help,’ he said. ‘There’s a lot of talent in Jersey and I’m passionate about the Island and that it should be seen more broadly than it is. The Island deserves more recognition beyond its financial services and I think that to wave a cultural flag for Jersey is extremely important.
‘I think the Jersey Arts Trust is an organisation that works under the surface, it’s a bit like an iceberg, so much happens out of sight, but it plays an incredibly important role in Jersey’s creative life. The trust is probably best known for Skipton Open Studios and what was accomplished with the Paper Dialogues exhibition, which was enormously well received and viewed by over 5,000 – but its main role is largely unseen.’
The trust was also involved in the recent Love Theatre play about the refugee crisis and Jersey’s response to it, the artist lock-ins projects and the forthcoming work of a puppet maker and storyteller who are bringing local folkore to life through film.
Mr Hewat-Jaboor believes the trust’s core aim is to support artists of all disciplines to make new work that can inspire, entertain and uplift the community both in the Island and beyond.
The mark of civilisation, Mr Hewat-Jaboor adds, is its cultural contribution on a larger scale, and he cites the success of local playwright Hannah Patterson, who received support from the trust and whose work is currently being shown in London and New York theatres.
‘We, of course, have a crucial role in supporting the work and development of local artists and voices, but we also consider the Island’s role in terms of the wider arts industry and how we can interact with artists internationally. We would like to see the work of artists that we support having an impact on our local community and showcased in galleries, theatres, screens, online and in platforms all over the world,’ he said.
The trust’s recent move from St James to Chateau Vermont is also going to help in achieving these aims.
‘Chateau Vermont is a really good base and I’m keen to build up artists’ residencies for local people and those from outside the Island. Everyone can come and spend time here, painters, sculptors, theatre people – I like mixing people up and giving them a place to interact and produce. I’m really convinced that by doing this that the artistic possibilities are enormous.
‘One of the things I love doing is putting people together – it’s one of the joys of life. I’d also like to get some established artists to come over and help local artists to progress and develop, in all the different disciplines and all art forms.’
Mr Hewat-Jaboor’s life in the artworld began as an auctioneer at Sotheby’s Belgravia in 1972 before he went on to open his art consultancy business in 1982. He is also an independent museum consultant and has co-curated exhibitions at the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts in New York and at Dulwich Picture Gallery, as well as at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Locally, Mr Hewat-Jaboor has been involved with the Jersey Percentage for Art scheme, which has seen an Island-wide collection of artworks by British artists.
In his own work, Mr Hewat-Jaboor deals with numerous international organisations and institutions and he says these links can be built upon and grown. ‘To have these relationships is something that I can help with a lot,’ he said. ‘I travel all over the world and everywhere I go people are fascinated by Jersey. Whichever way we can promote the Island is important. I think I can help spread the word and help people and the Jersey Arts Trust more broadly. We need to celebrate artists and help them. In any artist’s career it’s the support you get at the beginning that can really help. Financial help is important as well as networking, peer support, actively helping in the artist’s PR or finding the right sort of gallery,’
Involving businesses is also vitally important and something that Mr Hewat-Jaboor is keen to pursue and which he says will benefit everyone.
‘We need financial support, yes, but I just think there’s tremendous scope for all those involved. Crucially we need to connect with people and companies who understand how crucial it is to support artists and who are excited by artists making work that will thrill and delight us in the future. I’m keen that local people and companies get involved and can be seen to be involved,’ he said.
‘My own work takes me all over the world and I can raise people’s awareness about what the trust does and bring people in to engage with that. The results of these collaborations can be expanded and that will raise the flag elsewhere which is hugely important.’
He added: ‘There’s good support for the arts here, but there’s always scope for more.’
