Almost every country on the globe – except Sweden went into mandatory lockdown in an attempt to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
During New Zealand’s first quarantine, Astin 17, son of Adam Parore and Sally Ridge, decided to create his own company, York Gallery NZ.
Described as online and independent, it’s a new type of gallery that fosters a more collaborative relationship with the artists it deals with. It now caters to several international markets, including Germany, Australia, and the United States.
“I was in lockdown one day, and I thought I’ve got nothing to do, I’ve finished school, so maybe I could start my own business.”
“We had these little Sponti (garden) gnomes in our living room that mum had bought about ten years ago, and I thought I could sell those.”
“I started by contacting the artist Ottmar Hörl and his publisher in Germany about six months ago and asked if I could bring in 20 of his gnomes to help start things off.”
With a little guidance from his mother, York Gallery NZ started to really take off and just last month expanded into Croatia.
“I asked an artist who does these amazing spray can art pieces if he’d be willing to sell them through me.” They’ve sold amazingly well, with some going for as much as $1000 each.
Astin has an amazing attitude when it comes to achieving his goals, and it’s one of the main reasons why he’s had the success he’s had. When I asked him, he said it all came down to having the right mindset.
“You have to be determined to make your ideas happen. It’s about giving it 100%. If something doesn’t sell the first time, I just keep putting myself out there.”
“Don’t be afraid to fail; you’ve got to try and make your goals a reality.”
To find out more about and the York Gallery NZ, please visit https://yorkgallerynz.com/, or visit their Instagram page @yorkgallerynz
Also, be sure to visit their pop-up store in Central Ponsonby from 18-24 January, where York Gallery NZ’s own local artist Mika Cotton will be exhibiting her latest work.
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