In the Frame: Katy Hessel

Congratulations on your new book, How to Live an Artful Life. What can we expect from it?

Katy Hessel: ‘It’s a compilation of 366 quotes by artists and writers such as Tracey Emin, Marina Abramović, Nan Goldin, and Louise Bourgeois. I respond to each one with thoughts and insights, bringing alive their words and inviting the reader to participate in the creative act.

‘Each month focuses on a different theme. For example, January is all about seeking out ideas; February is about love; August is beauty; December is joy. While my reader could begin on January 1 and weave it into their daily routine, I also see it as a book to keep on your desk or bedside table, to occasionally dip into when you need some artistic wisdom!’

How do you live an artful life?

KH: ‘To live artfully does not mean to be an artist, or to always be going to museums or galleries. Although, of course, it can mean that. More expansively, it’s a way of thinking and living which we can learn from artists and apply to our day-to-day existence, whoever we are.

‘In a world full of unwanted distraction, where machines are trying to outsource imagination and so many of us look at the world through the black mirror in our pocket, I believe it’s more important than ever to remind ourselves of the joys of creativity, the importance of making, and noticing what’s in front of us.

‘As Ruth Asawa says on the 7 April entry: “Art will make people better, more highly skilled in thinking and improving whatever business one goes into, or whatever occupation. It makes a person broader.”’

What are you working on currently?

KH: ‘Preparing for the book tour across the UK, Scotland and Europe! We’ve got dates at the Tate Modern, Rijksmuseum, The Holburne in Bath and some of my favourite bookshops.

‘In March 2026, I am also so excited to be publishing a children's version of my first book, The Story of Art Without Men – for readers ages 8-13!’

What ritual or routine keeps you going?

KH: ‘In the 2 July entry, Marina Abramovic says that ‘an artist should stay for long periods of time at waterfalls.’ In other words: connecting with the natural environment can only foster and inspire creativity.

‘Taking this on board, I attempt a daily walk – without my phone or headphones — to the top of Primrose Hill, preferably as day breaks (which isn't hard in these dark mornings). I liken it to saying good morning to London!’

What work of art made you see things differently?

KH: ‘The spectacular temporary public artworks by the married artistic duo, Jeanne-Claude and Christo (who were born on the same day: 13 June 1935!). They surrounded entire islands with bright pink fabric and wrapped trees in a park in Switzerland.

‘I like to think of their works treasuring, protecting or even mummifying the land, dispatching it to a higher place. They make me see the sacredness of the world and nature.

‘These public artworks encourage a communal way of looking, emphasising the power of what happens when people come together, without hierarchy.’

What artists or designers are you excited about right now – who has your attention?

KH: ‘The Danish-born, Paris-based Eva Helene Pade is pretty extraordinary. Her current exhibition at Thaddeaus Ropac in London is full of these huge emotionally charged canvases of figures that morph in and out of abstraction. Set in a dreamworld, they feel akin to being lost in a dance or state of unconsciousness, with fiery blazes and dark intense shadows. I interviewed her for my podcast, you can listen to the episode here!’

Which artist or designer do you wish you knew more about (historical or present day)?

KH: ‘I'd most like to meet the 17th-century artist, Artemisia Gentileschi. Her works feel so contemporary and so revolutionary — she shows biblical stories through a female lens! She showed that we can look at these age-old stories from a woman's perspective. Suddenly, history looks very different — and it’s not hard. ‘While we do have a lot of knowledge about her, I'd really like to know what she was like personally: what drove her, how she overcame life's obstacles, her incentive behind so many of her paintings, and how she knew to fight justice through painting.’

Your favourite view, anywhere in the world?

KH: ‘I have two: As a life-long Londoner, the top of Parliament Hill has a special place in my heart. There’s a bench which I like to stand on, preferably first thing on a summer’s morning, to see London lit up by a misty, hazy glow. The other is that first glimpse of the Manhattan skyline when driving in from JFK. It will never get old.’

Most memorable show you’ve seen this year?

KH: ‘This summer, Fondation Maeght in St. Paul de Vence exhibited the titan Barbara Hepworth, whose sculptures so beautifully reflect and converse with both the southern French landscape, and the art in the foundation – Braque, Calder, Miro, and more.

‘The Fondation Maeght is where art, nature and architecture intersect. From the building's upside-down semi-circles that mirror the sun, to the towering trees that contrast to the skeletal Giacomettis. Whether it be sculpture, jazz, books, or painting, this place is steeped in history.’

What are you reading currently?

KH: ‘A beautiful, small book called Archives by Edmund de Waal. It’s a piece of treasure. ‘I recently reread photographer Sally Mann’s memoir Hold Still, which includes my favourite definition of beauty – something I also include in the month of August in How to Live an Artful Life, which focuses on the theme of beauty). She makes me realise that beauty is something that is alive, by saying: “As for me, I see both the beauty and the dark side of things; the loveliness of cornfields and full sails, but the ruin as well. And I see them at the same time, at once ecstatic at the beauty of things, and chary of that ecstasy. The Japanese have a phrase for this dual perception: mono no aware. It means ‘beauty tinged with sadness’, for there cannot be any real beauty without the indolic whiff of decay. For me, living is the same thing as dying, and loving is the same thing as losing, and this does not make me a madwoman; I believe it can make me better at living, and better at loving, and, just possibly, better at seeing.’’’

Top picks from Christie’s right now?

KH: ‘Joan Mitchell’s exuberant Sunflowers V. It is so full of life and vitality. To have it in one’s home would be like living in perpetual sunshine.

‘This bamboo Cartier wrist watch from the 1970s is quite spectacular! I love the Cartier designs from the 1960s and ’70s (the V&A exhibition earlier this year was brilliant at spotlighting these unique designs). It’s so smart, sleek and stylish. I love to imagine pairing it with a Diane Keaton-inspired outfit.’

‘Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Stills tested the representation of women in film in the 1970s – and still feel unnervingly contemporary today.

‘Elizabeth Peyton paints flowers like they're straight out of a dream. Her greens feel almost jewel-like, as if the painting is studded with emeralds.’