Guest Curator: Charles Michael Davis

Guest Curator

Charles Michael Davis

Most may know Charles Michael Davis as an actor, model, producer, and director—recognized for his notable roles in the TV dramas The Originals, Younger, NCIS, and Grey’s Anatomy—but few may know him as an emerging photographer and avid art collector.

Though he fell in love with photography while taking a college course, Charles’s time in front of the camera—modeling for esteemed photographers such as Yu Tsai, Jim Jordan, and Mark Seliger—offered him invaluable knowledge and helped hone his own artistic practice. In March 2023, for the first-time, Charles debuted his photography at The Other Art Fair Los Angeles, and his work caught the eye of selection committee members earning him a coveted director’s pick.

Charlotte Lea Photography | Designed by Lisa Vergeer of Azul Interiors and Danielle Reidy of Sadie Road Interiors

As for his personal art collection, it is an eclectic mix of black-and-white photography, large-scale Pop art portraits, textured wall hangings, sculptural works, and vibrant abstracts. Proudly on display throughout his LA home, Charles carefully curated each room, ensuring the art enhanced the space and reflected his dynamic personality.

Bringing his unique artistic vision and expertise, Charles curated a diverse selection of works featuring Saatchi Art artists that reflect his passion for innovation, storytelling, and the exploration of human experience.

Annabel Andrews
Moments

“For me, the role of art in my life is threefold. It tells me where I am, where I’d like to be, and where I am still yet to explore.”

Reminiscent of Charles’s own series, “A Prayer for the Wild at Heart,” this collection examines the expressive and primal nature of the human form and the clean lines and thoughtful proportions of geometric art.

Fabian Muir
Against the Tide

“Images of the human form are so expressive and visceral, and with geometric works, I find the lines, proportions, and colors very meditative and pleasing.”

Theophilus Tetteh
Ready to Vibe 3

Fares Micue
Magic Bliss

When curating this selection, Charles went with his intuition, choosing works he gravitated towards; only when it was complete did he notice the consistent throughline of subject matter.

With this collection, Charles hopes people feel curious to explore their connection to art further and see what they recognize within themselves.

“I encourage you to explore, to develop a sense of self, taste, and style that’s truly your own. That’s the value of art. That’s what makes it worth it.”

Dave McClinton
Taipan

Silja Pogule
Marzipan in Chocolate with Strawberry Flavor #113

Chloe McCarrick
Poppies In October (Ode To Sylvia)

Chad Goei
SHIFT VI

Kenny Nguyen
Sublime No. 3

Mikolaj Krawczunas
Ballerina

Liam Hennessy
Relief with Blue Circle

Anna Kalachyan
Pieces No. 31

Guest Curator: Joshua Smith

Artful Meditation

Guest Curator Joshua Smith

Artwork by Steve Gallagher

“In this noisy world we live in today, it is essential to our well-being to calm, quiet, and still the mind.”

Brianna Broyles Photography

Interior designer Joshua Smith believes our homes should be a sanctuary—a place to escape, unwind, and live blissfully—and creating a dedicated space for meditation is an integral part of his work.

When designing a meditation space, Joshua always recommends his clients include a primary work of art that speaks to them.

Anete Ring
Green Sky

“I find that, like myself, so many of us are deeply moved by Mother Nature, so this collection is an ode to my favorite muse.”

Whether it be guided, sitting in stillness, watching the flame of a candle, or contemplating on a piece of art, there are many ways to practice meditation. The beauty of incorporating a piece of art into your practice, is that by focusing on it, you’re brought into present moment.

Mark Rebennack
171 Exhales in White on Black Spray with Gray Action

Brianna Broyles Photography

And just as one’s meditation practice is unique to them, this collection includes a juxtaposition of both soft and moody tones, mirroring the light and shadow aspects of nature.

Each piece within the collection draws on elements of nature, some in more abstract ways than others. Paying careful consideration to color, Joshua includes greens, blues, and muted tones to evoke a sense of calm in the body and soothe the soul.

Yeachin Tsai
Bird’s Flight

Beverly Morrison
Floral Vessel #113

Mitch Eckert
Breathe

Ariadna Dane
Basal Elements. Transience

Carolien Wissing
The Pond 1

Grażyna Smalej
Wet 13

Lali Torma
Blue Lovers

Amelia Currier
Lift Off

Living with Art: Nat Pedley

LIVING WITH ART
Saatchi Art Collectors Take us Inside their Homes

Artwork by Chad Goei

Meet Nat Pedley

A Doctor Who Uses Art to Transport Him to a Place or Moment

Nat Pedley is a full-fledged collector, although it wasn’t always that way. “Before meeting my wife, I didn’t really have an appreciation for art,” Nat explained. But after many museum dates and days spent scouring local galleries while on vacation, Nat fell in love with buying art. In fact, it was during a long weekend trip to Block Island, that he picked up his very first original artwork: a small acrylic painting by a local artist which—surreptitiously!—depicted the exact beach view he saw from his window at the bed & breakfast each morning.

Dennis Osadebe
Brother’s Keeper

A primary care physician in Los Angeles, Nat particularly enjoys how art can transport him immediately back to special memories, and he often purchases art to commemorate a favorite trip or important moment. “I love returning from a vacation and buying a work of art that brings to life the scenery or feelings I experienced on that trip, even if no one else but me could connect the art to the destination,” he says. Of course, art beautifies his home too. “Discovering and living with art is like becoming literate—you are exposed to places, people, and beauty previously unknown to you; the world around you is enriched in a way it wasn’t before.” For him having a house filled with art allows for brief escapes from his regular routine—important given his demanding work schedule. “I only have to meditate on a favorite work for a few minutes to re-experience an old memory or that spark I felt when I first laid eyes on the work.”

“Discovering and living with art is like becoming literate—you are exposed to places, people, and beauty previously unknown to you; the world around you is enriched in a way it wasn’t before.”

Tarini Ahuja
Beginning to Blue

His favorite work in his collection is one that commemorates the birth of his son. “I saw a Saatchi Art Instagram post featuring a work by Tarini Ahuja, a young artist in India. The painting is abstract, but in my interpretation you can see a dreamlike landscape with the outline of a baby’s face, with a blue background. I had just seen a similar outline of my son’s face on a sonogram, and the work really spoke to me,” he explained. The work now takes pride of place above his son’s crib, so it is the first thing he sees each day and before he goes to bed.

“The sight of an artwork sometimes tickles you in a way that you can’t articulate, but that you just know would enrich your life by being able to see it on a daily basis.”

Brian Biles
The Emerald Wave

Yuna Chun
Fabricated Perception

Nat’s approach to collecting is simple and natural. “I am often inspired by specific life moments to seek out new artwork, but I wait until I find the perfect one to make a move,” he explains. To that end, he never buys simple to fill an empty wall. “After a work is purchased, my wife and I place it in various rooms until we find the space that feels right.” While he doesn’t need to have a space in mind to make a purchase, he absolutely has to connect with the artwork. “The sight of an artwork sometimes tickles you in a way that you can’t articulate, but that you just know would enrich your life by being able to see it on a daily basis,” he says. When he feels that—he goes for it.

“I love the idea of helping an up-and-coming artist from halfway around the globe.”

Robin Rule
Leslie Road

Saatchi Art has enabled Nat to take his time browsing new artworks, and to always find what he is looking for—even if he doesn’t quite know it when he starts his search. “Saatchi Art provides a great searching tool to find art related to a particular theme, such as a painting related to a recent travel destination,” he explains.

At the same time, he takes advantage of browsing curated collections to explore what’s new in sculptures, abstract art, or any other type of art he is in the mood to look at. But more than that, he loves knowing he is supporting—and connecting with—emerging artists when he buys at Saatchi Art. “I love the idea of helping an up-and-coming artist from halfway around the globe. When I bought the painting by Tarini, I felt this immediate connection to a complete stranger. I wish I could show her how happy I am that she made that painting.”

“See if there is a work of art that you immediately connect with, and don’t be embarrassed if you can’t explain why exactly the art speaks to you.”

Robin Rule
Blue

Simon Shepherd
This Bird Has Flown

His advice for newbies looking to make their first art purchase? Take your time. Go to an art show like The Other Art Fair and browse without an agenda. Or spend an hour just perusing Saatchi Art. “See if there is a work of art that you immediately connect with, and don’t be embarrassed if you can’t explain why exactly the art speaks to you,” Nat recommends. “If it’s within your budget, buy it, because you won’t regret getting to relive that special connection on a daily basis in the peace of your own home.”

Art Inspired by Nat’s Collection

Like what you see? Our expert curators suggest works inspired by the art displayed in Nat’s home.

Luciano Cian
Tête #14

Stephanie Rivet
Magic Moment

Eloise Renouf
Build It Up (Blue)

Baldemar Fierro
“Alegría en la Tormenta” (Joy in the Storm)

Living with Art: Rico Brooks

LIVING WITH ART
Saatchi Art Collectors Take us Inside their Homes

Meet Rico Brooks

A Music Talent Manager Who
Uses Art as a Creative Outlet

Rico Brooks oversees the music careers of some of the most notable names in the industry, but that doesn’t mean art doesn’t provide a valuable creative outlet for him. “When I’m on the road, I’ll try to sneak into an artist’s studio or stay a day later to go visit art museums,” he explains. Since college, the talent manager has found beauty and meaning in art—whether enjoying the exhibitions on view at his local High Museum of Art in Atlanta or searching out works by some of his favorite artists while traveling (Kerry James Marshall and Jacob Lawrence are on the list.)

“Art was once something that only the rich and wealthy could buy. Saatchi has broadened the base.”

While museums have long been a source of pleasure for Rico, it took longer for him to understand that owning art was something available to him. Discovering Saatchi Art transformed him, as he explained it, “Sometimes we just don’t know what we don’t know—we don’t have access.” Collecting work from Saatchi Art has enabled him to not only collect original art, but buy from an international roster of artists. “They have helped globalize the art buying process. Art was once something that only the rich and wealthy could buy. Saatchi has broadened the base. I have discovered artists that I probably would have never heard of based on their geographic location.”

“I buy what I like and what speaks to me.”

Mister Artsy
Lady in Red

Mister Artsy
A Letter to Theo

When it comes to adding art to his collection, Rico is confident in his taste and vision. “I buy what I like and what speaks to me,” he explains. “I’m not going to buy it if it doesn’t evoke emotion …I have to have a connection to it.” While his love for an artwork is often impulsive, he also likes to consider where it will go in his home before he makes a purchase. “When I buy a piece, I already have a vision, I’m a very visual person. So I’m thinking about where it’s going to be even with just the whole design of my house.” Yet he is always careful to not miss out on an opportunity to own a work he loves—after all, originals mean one-of-a-kind. “I learned with art—it’s similar to music. When creators have something that you like, you have to kind of seize the moment because you may go back and it may be gone.”

“I can look at a piece everyday and discover something new.”

Mister Artsy
Masters of the Universe

Eddie Love
Black Lung + Brain Dead

Beyond adding to the visual narrative of his home, Rico loves how artwork itself tells a story. For that reason, the Street Art genre is particularly compelling to him, presenting a unification of aesthetic and narrative. “I love the discovery aspect of Saatchi Art,” which has led him to appreciate artists as varied as Eddie Love and Mister Artsy Graffiti Street Art Amsterdam. One thing that unites them all, though, is how an artwork never stops changing and evolving. “I can look at a piece everyday and discover something new,” he explains.

“Buy what gravitates towards you.”

Mister Artsy
Art, HAHAHA

His best advice for new collectors starting out: “Buy what gravitates towards you.” At first he started with art that felt connected to people that influenced him—from Jay Z to Malcolm X—and then started expanding his palette more. “Start with what you like, start with what you know. Ask yourself what appeals to you? Do you like flowers? Do you like architecture? Is it animals?” Or he jokes, if you’re still feeling uncertain, “Get a cool friend that you know has good taste.” One imagines Rico is that friend to many people around him.

Art Inspired by Rico’s Collection

Like what you see? Our expert curators suggest works inspired by the art displayed in Rico’s home.

Artsido Art
Untitled

Beate Garding Schubert
Butterfly No.12 #Hope

Vicente Aguado
HALF V4CC1N4T3D DOPPELGÄNERS 1

Emily Starck
The Power of Colors

Living with Art: Sarah Chitsaz

LIVING WITH ART
Saatchi Art Collectors Take us Inside their Homes

Meet Sarah Chitsaz

A Real Estate Developer Who Uses Art to Express her Personality

For Saatchi Art collector Sarah Chitsaz, art is about more than just filling her home’s walls—it’s the primary outlet for her self-expression. Residing in Denver and working in real estate development, Sarah sees buying art as “a way to express my personality outwardly.” She came to art collecting relatively young while living in Charleston, South Carolina after college and exploring small local galleries in her free time. But when she discovered Saatchi Art serendipitously while browsing the internet several years ago, it was “love at first sight.” While she was immersed in the local art scene of Charleston, Saatchi Art enabled her to expand her horizons and discover artists from all around the world.

Now with so much art at her fingertips, Sarah has honed in on what makes an artwork compelling to her. “It’s that striking moment of, ‘This really resonates in my soul,’” she explains. “A work might remind me of something that made me feel safe or happy, or it can remind me of places I’ve been or experiences I’ve had. Some of it’s just whimsical.” All in all, these diverse inspirations have resulted in a wide-ranging collection. “My art is eclectic, but it also has an edge, which contrasts with my preferred furniture style which has really clean and modern lines.”

“It’s that striking moment of, ‘This really resonates in my soul.’”

Javiera Estrada
Put on a Happy Face

Dragomir Misina
Off the Wall 1

Sarah’s art collection compliments her furniture and space, but she doesn’t feel constrained by them—rather she buys artwork she loves and sometimes figures out what to do with it afterwards. “If I can’t stop thinking about an artwork, then I need to have it, and I don’t care if I have room for it,” she says with a laugh. And this has happened once or twice. “I did not pay attention to the dimensions, and it was five times larger than what I imagined,” she explains in reference to a favorite oversized work by photographer Javiera Estrada titled Put on a Happy Face. “It’s huge, but I love it. You cannot look at that and not smile.”

“My friend said, ‘When I walk into your house, I immediately know that you live here based on the way that you’ve decorated your home and the art on the walls.’ And I loved that.”

Theophilus Tetteh
Ready to Mingle

Noah Emhurt
London Ash

Having a beautiful, welcoming home full of art is important to Sarah—but more than that, she wants it to feel like her home. “I will never forget the day, I had a bunch of people over, and someone pulled me aside, and she gave me the best compliment I’ve ever received,” she explained. “My friend said, ‘When I walk into your house, I immediately know that you live here based on the way that you’ve decorated your home and the art on the walls.’ And I loved that.”

“If I can support somebody in a different country from my sofa, that feels amazing.”

June Kim
After Gauguin, The Spirit of the Dead Watching

For her, Saatchi Art’s sheer breadth of artwork and diversity of artists is what draws her to the online gallery. Sarah likened it to searching through an antique shop or browsing for a hidden treasure. “I like to find things that I think are unique and not everybody else has,” she explains. “At first it’s a little overwhelming just because the catalog of art is so comprehensive,” she explains. “You need to be patient… I use Saatchi Art to look at different types of work that are new to me, things that I have never seen before.”

She also loves that the artists are so global. “If I can support somebody in a different country from my sofa, that feels amazing. Plus, it’s seamless. Once you purchase a work, the communication process and delivery is superb.” Her collection ranges from Los Angeles-based artists to one living in Ghana.

Paxton Maroney
MOLLIFY

Working with an art advisor has also challenged her to buy art she never would have considered previously. Taking advantage of the complimentary art advisory program, Sarah partnered with one of Saatchi Art’s curators to help her find new artwork—and some of it was unexpected, in a good way. “To me, art is like fashion. If you put me in a store, I’m going to try on the things that I’m comfortable with, but I wanted to get out of my box and I didn’t have a ton of time to look at things.” Working with her personal advisor, Sarah ended up purchasing several works she’d have never picked on her own. What surprised her even more, was her love of them grew as she spent more time learning about the artists and the stories behind their works. She likens these stories to “little secrets” that she carries around and thinks about every time she looks at the artwork—seeing it anew each time.

“Find something that really resonates with you.”

Daria Bagrintseva
Honey Bunny

Andrew Weir
For Reasons Obvious

Her advice for art lovers interested in buying their first original artwork? Don’t settle on just filling your walls, but find something you really love. “Set a budget and have fun! It shouldn’t be a chore—you’re operating on your own timeline. Find something that really resonates with you.” And when you’re still unsure of what you like, her best advice is to decide on what emotion you want the work to inspire and go from there. “When I am looking for a new artwork, I identify the emotion, and then I look to see what image gives me that emotion.” A true testament to the power of art.

Art Inspired by Sarah’s Collection

Like what you see? Our expert curators suggest works inspired by the art displayed in Sarah’s home.

GyoBeom An
Image-Face (Model)

Dragomir Misina
Take Care 7

Javiera Estrada
Union

Jonas Fisch
Medicine for the Atmos

Art For Every Room

Every Room, Every Style

Art Inspiration for Every Space in Your Home

Artwork by Jeanette Lafontine

Art For Every Room

Every room in your home has a distinct purpose and style. Whether you’re searching for an artwork to be the focal point of your living room, or looking for the perfect finishing touch for your favorite reading nook, our curators have put together fresh collections suited to every space.

Foyer

Make a grand entrance. Browse a new collection of large-scale eye-catching original artworks that will wow your guests and immediately set the mood of your home.

Sunset on the Sahara
Viet Ha Tran
$1,360

MOOD INDIGO
Terri Dilling
$3,210

Sunset on the Sahara
Viet Ha Tran
$1,360

MOOD INDIGO
Terri Dilling
$3,210

Diaspore
Karin Vermeer
$3,060

Nous Sommes en Guerre
Delphine Rocher
$1,710

Living Room

Gathering with loved ones, cozy nights in, and unwinding after a long day—it all happens here. Give your living room a refresh with one of these artworks by top emerging artists from around the globe.

Diaspore
Karin Vermeer
$3,060

Nous Sommes en Guerre
Delphine Rocher
$1,710

Dining room

Consider adding an artwork to your dining space that will serve as a visual complement to mealtime. These works are sure to add a dynamic presence when entertaining.

Soft Evening
Irina Laube
$2,510

Sugar Bliss
Kate Longmaid
$830

Soft Evening
Irina Laube
$2,510

Sugar Bliss
Kate Longmaid
$830

small spaces

Art doesn’t always require big walls. Whether you’re looking to fill a bathroom wall or beautify your reading nook, consider one of these lively new artworks that will shine in any small space.

In Front Of Your Eyes
Maliheh Zafarnezhad
$590

Got Milk? 3.55
Court Swartz
$250

Jay Jay
Kathryn Knudsen
$525

Spring
Michelle Weddle
$730

In Front Of Your Eyes
Maliheh Zafarnezhad
$590

Got Milk? 3.55
Court Swartz
$250

Jay Jay
Kathryn Knudsen
$525

Spring
Michelle Weddle
$730

My Nature
Alice de Miramon
$2,500

Blue Sea
Mila Weis
$1,860

bedroom

Your bedroom is your sanctuary. The perfect artwork will create a calming mood in the evening while helping you to welcome the new day each morning.

My Nature
Alice de Miramon
$2,500

Blue Sea
Mila Weis
$1,860

Office

Whether you’re looking to inspire motivation or intense focus, these are the artworks our curators say are the perfect additions to your work from home set-up.