Why We Collect: Ian and Serge Krawiecki Gazes

The Miami-based couple on how a Keith Haring work started their journey

‘We met in New York in the early 1980s and became immersed in the East Village scene with Keith Haring and his generation of artists. We moved in together after about 3 weeks of dating and hung our first piece: a Keith Haring print from his ‘Fertility’ series (1983). That was the catalyst. It’s a small community and we met a lot of gallerists and artists, and later, collectors like Susan and Michael Hort who helped widen our horizons. Hilary is right: it does take a village.

‘We principally collect emerging artists who we enjoy discovering and supporting. We like to think of our collection as a sort of intellectual and experiential investment. It does more than just add flavor to our space: the artworks immerse us in different cultures, philosophies, and artistic viewpoints. Every work of art is a snapshot of an era, capturing reflections of society, human emotions, and thoughts. Watching an artist grow and seeing their works change over time is profoundly satisfying.

Left: Serge and Ian Krawiecki Gazes. Courtesy of the collectors. Right: Keith Haring, from the ‘Fertility’ suite, 1983. Courtesy of the collectors.

There are many artists from whom we’ve bought very early works. We bought one of Rashid Johnson’s signature mirror reliefs when we visited his studio and we’ve also collected work by his wife, Sheree Hovsepian. There has to be a mutual interest in what we purchase. We really enjoy the back-and-forth discussion it creates between us.   

‘In New York, we would open our home during the Armory fair each year. The art community could come and kick off their shoes and have a martini, and it enabled the artists see what their work looks like installed there. We didn’t only hang art that we had just acquired. We wanted to remind people that just because there are artists who are new and different, these other works are still great. We had Benjamin Degan’s first big painting Town Car (2010) in our living room above the sofa. He was so happy to see it – there were so many people there. It was very inspirational to us to feel that energy. 

Artwork by Rashid Johnson presented by Hauser & Wirth in the Unlimited sector of Art Basel in Basel 2018.

‘We have lots of collector friends and mentor younger collectors. Of course, they are going to think about whether an artwork will appreciate, there’s nothing wrong with that. But you must buy what you love and be capable of living with it.

‘We have art that we’ve recently collected throughout our homes in Miami and New York, but this is just a sample. We have several facilities where we store it too. It really is everywhere. Our hallway is so long, and Serge came up with a fantastic idea for it: We created an art shelf that runs its length to show our smaller works on paper and photography, with larger works on the wall opposite. This space includes works by Holly Coulis, Emma Coleman, and Van Hanos; a painting by Nicole Eisenman of her brother; a painting by Hilary Pecis of the Hollywood Hills; a small work by Eddie Martinez that he gave us as a gift; an early portrait by Henry Taylor; and photography by Zanele Muholi and Wolfgang Tillmans. We fell in love with a painting by Sophie Larrimore which features a poodle (we have one so we’re partial to them).

‘A favorite work is Carlos and John Arthur (2021), a painting by Doron Langberg, which spoke to us because it portrays two lovers on the beach in Fire Island. It’s the place where we met in 1982 and we spotted many artists there at the time, including David Hockney and Andy Warhol. Doron is a gay artist who we knew before he was taken up by his dealer, Victoria Miro, and we always wanted to support him.

‘In Serge’s office there are paintings by Emily Mae Smith, Benjamin Senior, Maud Madsen, and Aaron Garber-Maikovska. In Ian’s office the artists include Andrea Marie Breiling, who works with spray paint. In the stairwell, where you might hang a chandelier, we have a light installation that we commissioned from James Clar. We even have a sculpture by Hugh Hayden in our wine room. We were so intrigued by his work when we saw it in London – a huge sculpture with tree branches stuck through it. We couldn’t buy it because we had no idea how to transport it, but right after we had a chance to acquire works here in the US, and then he had a show at the ICA Miami.

Artwork by Emily Mae Smith presented by Perrotin at Paris+ par Art Basel 2023.

‘Much of our collection is work by artists who we’ve known since they began. In East Hampton, we bought a very rural property with a 100-year-old potato-peeling barn next to the house. In the summer, we gave the barn over to artists to work in whatever way they wanted, and we used to host galleries that would hold group shows. The artist Ryan Wallace used it as his studio for many years to make quite complicated multimedia pieces. 

‘Art is an education. It gives us so much pleasure to share the success of an artist in the sense that they’re being recognized, and people want to see their work.’ 

Artworks by Wolfgang Tillmans presented by David Zwirner in the Unlimited sector at Art Basel in Basel 2016.

Skye Sherwin is an art writer based in Rochester, UK. She contributes regularly to The Guardian and numerous art publications.