By Sarah Ryan, Founder of New Blood Art
I founded New Blood Art in 2004 because I wanted to offer a platform to artists at the beginning of their practice — not just to give them visibility, but to stand beside the early stages of something real.
That work continues. We still focus on artists emerging from art schools across the UK. We still look closely. We still select slowly. Many of the artists we introduced early in their careers are now represented in our Masters section — a space created to hold continuity as their work and voice develop.
For collectors, the idea of “emerging” is sometimes framed as risk — or speculation. That’s never been the way I’ve approached it. For me, this work has always been about care, attention, and discernment. And the quiet possibility of being alongside something as it grows.
Recent insights from the Art Basel and UBS report reflect what I’ve seen for over two decades: the most active and resilient part of the market is in the range we’ve always occupied — original artworks under £5,000, selected with intention.
The fact that the market is now paying attention to emerging artists and lower price points isn’t what determines the quality of the work. But it is, unfortunately, what tends to determine financial value. That’s the dichotomy: value is often only assigned once something is recognised publicly — once it’s priced, praised, or made visible to others. But we’re not led by that. We highlight work before the market assigns value — not to get ahead of a trend, but because these are talented artists, and the quality is already there.
What I find most meaningful is the long arc. Seeing a practice begin, and staying with it. Watching an artist deepen their language, shift materials, change scale — and knowing that some of the people who collected their work five, ten, even fifteen years ago are still with them too.
That’s not about speculation. It’s about relationship.
The work that we show is strong, and its value is evidenced financially when the rest of the world catches up later on. That’s what we do at New Blood Art — and that’s why we’ve developed a reputation for investment. Not because we’ve intentionally set out to do that, but because we recognise artists who are working with the kind of integrity that the art market ultimately appreciates. But it takes a little while for the work itself to appreciate.
New Blood Art has always been built on that principle — and on the belief that collecting can be a thoughtful, personal act. It begins with how you look. What you notice. Where you’re willing to place your attention. And whether you respond not just to form, but to presence — what the work carries, what it’s reaching toward, what sits beneath the surface.
That’s the value I trust.
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Artwork: Orlanda Broom, Masters Artist at New Blood Art
© Orlanda Broom, used with permission