Episode 8 - "Rishika Assomull, Sotheby's Deputy Director of Modern & Contemporary Southeast Asian Art!"
Are you a creative person? Do you love art? You don’t necessarily need to be an artist in order
to find a fulfilling career in the art industry! Art careers come in many different shapes and sizes,
from creating original artworks to selling and promoting them to teaching others. Today, you’ll
hear from Miss Rishika Assomull, who is the Deputy Director and Senior Specialist of Modern
and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art at Sotheby’s Hong Kong. Tuning in, you’ll find out the
difference between modern and contemporary art, what Miss Rishika’s role entails, and what it
takes to work at one of the biggest auction houses in the world. We also discuss the importance
of building relationships and finding mentors, and Miss Rishika tells us what she loves about
working in the industry and shares her advice for anyone who wants to follow a similar path. If
this sounds like something you’d love to do when you grow up, be sure to tune in today to find
out more!
Key Points From This Episode:
• Insight into Miss Rishika’s background and her role at Sotheby’s.
• Distinguishing between modern and contemporary art.
• The history of Sotheby’s and what they do as an auction house.
• How Miss Rishika participates in live auctions on behalf of her clients.
• What goes into promoting rare artworks and items to clients around the world.
• The importance of authentication (and how you can tell if a painting is counterfeit!)
• The process of appraising a painting and deciding on its value.
• Different types of art that Miss Rishika handles in her department.
• What she loves about working in the art industry (including the travel opportunities it offers).
• Advice for those who want to follow a similar career path: find multiple role models!
• The critical role that internships played in Miss Rishika’s career development.
• A look at her education, process of self-discovery, and what she has learned "on the job.”
• Highlighting some of the most fascinating aspects of her career.
Quotes:
“Maybe I'll know of a collector who's looking for this particular kind of painting. I'll call them and
say, ‘We have the perfect painting for you. Something that you've been looking for for years, and
we finally managed to source something like this.’” — @RishikaAssomull [0:08:40]
“You're always making friends in this industry. That's what's fun about it. That's what I enjoy
about it. You meet people from all walks of life, and you're connected through art, which is really
enriching.” — @RishikaAssomull [0:20:05]
“Relationships are crucial in this industry. The more people you meet, the more doors open up
for you, and your world opens up.” — @RishikaAssomull [0:24:20]
“I can read all the books in the world, and I'll never have the opportunity to sit in the same room
as some of the artists that I deal with, but these collectors have. In knowing the collectors, I
often get to learn more about the artists.” — @RishikaAssomull [0:35:08]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: