Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Henderson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was an interdisciplinary student at University with an emphasis on Non Western Art and Religious Studies. I have always had a passion for anything related to world history, art, and religion. And of course in many ways all of these things are part of one interconnected whole. Despite all my concentrated studies however when I graduated from college I still had little idea how and what I was going to do for a career. I spent a number of years as an event producer and then eventually got into marketing, design, and digital art. From there I came full circle and started creating traditional art–drawing and painting–heavily inspired by the ancient aesthetic which I was so captivated by. Not long after I came across the Barakat Collection and as they say the rest is history. I have been working here for roughly 5 years now, managing the US portion of the collection and directing both galleries in West Hollywood and Beverly Hills.
Has it been a smooth road?
Life in general has never been a very smooth road for me. I think for many of us, unless you have the privilege of growing up as a prodigy or genius of some type, it’s never going to be easy finding your true path or calling. It comes with a lot of trial and error, misguided hope, belief, and heartbreak. But in the end, you’ve got to follow your heart. Aim to do something that matters to you, something that you’re passionate about, and makes you want to wake up every day just to work on it. You may go through years of struggle trying to find your niche, and then once you do, how you can making a living from it… but in the end you’re going to be much better off than taking the easy route… getting an education and a job just to make money. I did a number of different things on my way to finding the perfect job I have now, and many of them were hardly lucrative. But because I always had a passion for history and the arts, and I wasn’t going to compromise that love, it was inevitable that someday I would eventually end up here.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Barakat Gallery story. Tell us more about the business.
The Barakat Gallery is a fifth generation family owned and operated business, founded in Jerusalem over 125 years ago. We are purveyors of museum quality ancient art specializing in Classical, Near Eastern, Biblical, Chinese, Pre-Columbian, Byzantine, Asian, African and Primitive arts. We also deal in ancient Numismatics and fine jewelry. Our clientele is varied, including museums, corporations, private collectors and investors from all over the world. For the past century, the Barakat Family has been fortunate enough to have assisted in the formation of some of the most important art collections in the world. Although there are many dealers of Ancient Art, you will not find a collection like this anywhere. The depth, the breadth, and the quality of objects found across a countless variety of cultures is simply incomparable.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Ancient art is an extremely niche market, and as such may not be as susceptible to large swings or trends in the market place as other industries. There will always be a small subsection of discriminating individuals willing to pay top dollar for outstanding items that represent significant contributions to our shared cultural history. With that being said however, there have been sizable shifts in the ancient art world over the past decade. The internet has had a major impact in our industry as it has in virtually all others. This of course has been a double edged sword… with easier access more options, knowledge, and information is available than ever before, but on the flip side, there is less true engagement and more room for misinformation and peddling of low quality examples, even out right fakes. Our industry is constantly being affected by new laws, regulations, and international trade agreements… its subject to more and more red tape with each and every passing year, however, I believe this will only serve to create a climate of more educated collectors and aficionados and in the end hopefully consolidate the industry to trusted, reputable dealers with higher quality authentic examples. As I said there will always be a market for these treasures among discriminating buyers.
Contact Info:
- Address: London: 58 Brook Street, Mayfair, London
Beverly Hills: 421 North Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, California
Seoul: 58-4, Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu
Amman: 31 Nagdawi Street, Rabieh, Amman, Jordan
West Hollywood: 941 North La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, California - Website: www.barakatgallery.com
- Phone: 310 859 8408
- Email: [email protected]
