South London-based gallerist Poppy Sebire has confirmed that she will be closing her gallery in Southwark, citing the tough economic climate as the reason. She will be moving out of the building at the end of January next year.
“I’m doing it because I want to move on,” says Sebire, who set up the gallery in 2009 after four years as co-director at David Risley. “We’ve made money but, if I want to keep the gallery going and make it a viable business that grows, I would have to make it much more commercial to survive the current financial climate.”
Poppy Sebire quickly established herself as one of London’s leading young dealers and has a roster of nine artists: James Aldridge, Roger Andersson, Tom Dale, Georgie Hopton, Paul Housley, Lee Maelzer, Boo Ritson, Danny Rolph and Amy Stephens.
In its early days, Poppy Sebire gallery operated on a pop-up basis, transforming disused spaces across the capital into new art venues. In September 2010 it found a permanent home in a spectacular, vaulted, Victorian church hall in Southwark, just south of Tate Modern.
“Galleries this small and this young are threatened by the market,” explains Sebire. “I know that it’s not just here though, and I do rely on international business too. It seems everyone is struggling. At the heart of all galleries are the artists. I think the biggest challenge is finding a balance between nurturing their careers and selling their work, especially in a difficult economic climate.”
For its final outing, the gallery is staging an exhibition of new works by Swedish artist Roger Andersson. ‘Babes in the Wood’ comprises delicately beautiful works on paper shown alongside video and mobile sculpture. The gallery will also be presenting a solo show of new work by Georgie Hopton at the London Art Fair’s Art Projects, from 16-20 January 2013.
“The future looks promising,” says Sebire, “but I’m not yet fixed on a definite next step. I will stay in London which is home and I will continue to work with contemporary artists.”
‘Babes in the Wood’ runs from 7 December to 26 January 2013. For more information visit www.poppysebire.com
