Pandora Mather Lees is an Art Historian, FRSA and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars, She brings over 25 years of leadership across the international art and cultural sectors having been at the forefront of art publishing, licensing, digital platforms and collections management, building relationships with museums, galleries, collectors and auction houses worldwide. As Managing Director of Bridgeman Images and Bridgeman Education, she helped expand access to some of the world's most important art collections across publishing, education and digital media markets. 

The diversity of mediums offered an engaging exploration of how contemporary art can respond to and transform the spaces in which it is displayed. Rather than presenting the works within a traditional gallery environment, the exhibition encouraged visitors to consider the dialogue between artwork, architecture and the experience of the viewer.

CMAA founder and director Chrissy Moore described the concept in terms of “creating genuine connections between art, architecture, and people”. This was particularly evident throughout the evening, where the artworks were experienced both physically and digitally alongside the sophisticated architectural environment of Binghatti’s Knightsbridge headquarters.

The exhibition featured physical works by UK based and international artists, including Caroline Boff, Emma Coyle, Aro and Lara Julian, alongside digital works that extended the presentation into new forms of contemporary practice.

Established in Edinburgh in 2005, Chrissy Moore Art Advisory is a woman led advisory firm supporting both emerging and established artists through curated opportunities and international connections. Its work also extends to collectors, helping them build meaningful collections for personal enjoyment or investment, with an emphasis on transparency and due diligence.

For me, the evening provided a reminder of the fluid and symbiotic relationship between contemporary art, luxury property and the built environment. It demonstrated how carefully curated art can change the atmosphere and perception of a space while creating opportunities for artists to reach new audiences. It was a pleasure to attend and to see CMAA continuing to champion contemporary practice within an international and sophisticated setting.

Among those represented was local artist Lauren Super whose glowing landscape canvases, marine fish sculptures (a symbolic series exploring wider social issues) and designer hand-painted resin trays introduced a strong sense of contemplation and spiritual energy to the space. Two of Super’s paintings stood out in particular: "Sunset", and "Bliss" large imposing canvases, with strata of gold white and blue.  A signature piece, 'Pixme Glamour' pictured here, is a traditional style bust made contemporary by the media, a saturated neon-pink resin with a scintillating reflective lustre.

Also on show, Philip Low, a New York based artist again, exploring Bauhaus principles, through an assemblage of handcrafted acrylic cubes evoking light, transparency and form through a sensitive colour palette. Also beautifully displayed were organic glass sculptures by Tim Rawlinson featuring iridescent surfaces that captured the natural light within the gallery.

'Sonja' Gallery is a tribute to contemporary living.  A curator as well as designer the artist, choreographed a 'gesamptkunstwerk' meaning that the entire gallery emerged as a 'total work of art'. Winner's orchestration of geometric and organic forms with works that explored colour through very different materials and functional objects was an experience. Ultimately the exhibition demonstrated the versatility of contemporary approaches to luminosity and form encouraging us to think again how these elements can shape the spaces we inhabit.