Louise Fitzjohn is a Margate-based curator, writer, and founder of Liminal Gallery, which represents contemporary artists from across the UK and Ireland. With artists at its core, Liminal delivers a dynamic programme of thoughtfully curated exhibitions while fostering meaningful, long-term development for its roster. Alongside the gallery, Fitzjohn hosts the Liminal Gallery Podcast, interviewing exhibiting artists to delve deeper into their practices and offer an expanded platform for their work. The podcast has reached international audiences and continues to amplify the voices of emerging and established artists alike.
With over 15 years’ experience in commercial galleries, Fitzjohn is committed to championing women and non-binary artists and challenging the systemic inequalities they face. Her curatorial approach centres on collaboration, care, and creating accessible, inclusive spaces that resist traditional hierarchies within the art world. Fitzjohn is also an arts writer, having contributed to Stylist, The Big Issue, Margate Mercury, and numerous exhibition texts, most recently for Saatchi Gallery. Dedicated to supporting the next generation of creatives, she regularly lectures across GCSE, BA, and MA programmes, including at London Metropolitan University and Birmingham City University. Deeply engaged with her local creative community, Fitzjohn plays an active role in Margate’s cultural landscape and serves on the Advisory Panel for the Power of Women Festival.
Why did you want to guest curate for this year’s International Women’s Day Auction?
It was a real honour to have been invited to curate this years International Women’s Day Auction. This will be the third auction I have curated and as it’s the last one I couldn’t say no! I love working with Gemma Peppe and will never say no to her! I also hugely respect what she has done with Art on a Postcard and The Hepatitis C Trust, building it from the ground up to the hugely successful thing it is today. She is an incredible human, so any chance I have to work with Gemma is seized with both hands!
Art on a Postcard plays a key role in raising funds and awareness for The Hepatitis C Trust. What makes you want to help fundraise for the charity?
The Hepatitis C Trust is such an important charity and has proved that it exists to change lives, and it has done just that for many years now. It is incredible to see that they have almost reached their goal of eliminating Hepatitis C from the UK by 2030, they have worked so hard in their mission and I’m thrilled for them that their goal is within reach now.
What were the key things you were looking for when selecting your artists for this auction?
For this auction I have featured a small selection of my artists from Liminal Gallery, showcasing a range of styles and mediums. Some are emerging and giving them this platform is an incredibly exciting opportunity for them, but also for people to discover some incredible artists while they are still early in their career. Some of the artists I have included are mid-career, and offer people a fantastic opportunity to acquire their work on a smaller scale. I wanted to bring a real selection of some of my personal favourite artists to work with, who happen to be truly incredible artists!
What do you hope people take away from the International Women’s Day Auction?
That it’s an exciting opportunity to collect works from some fantastic artists while raising funds for an incredibly important cause. I hope they take the time to browse the full auction, discover someone new and enjoy the work that each of the artists generously put into creating these works.
Do you think this auction format supports/impacts emerging artists?
Absolutely, the auction format certainly supports emerging artists and can give them a real boost of confidence, watching bids on their work increase. The platform that Art on a Postcard have built has become so large that having their work features means a whole new audience having eyes on their work. I hope that anyone viewing the auction realises how lucky they are to be given such an insight into what is happening right now in contemporary art - the auctions provide an excellent snap shot of the artists practicing now, in this time.
What advice would you give to someone buying their first piece of art?
Buy what you love. This will change over time but that’s ok. To start, making your first purchase can feel scary, but it’s a really open and welcoming place (especially with the right galleries) and we love to talk about the artists and their work. So ask questions, keep curious and after submerging yourself into the art world for a while, you’ll start to learn a lot about art, about your own preferences and what you want to collect. Maybe the most important advice is always buy female and non-binary artists works - let’s change the imbalances in the art world once and for all!
How does a small-scale format like this appeal to new collectors?
Affordability. Works on a small scale such as this mean that the work is more affordable. When you’re just starting out, collecting smaller works is a great way to build up your confidence. Work your way up to big…or maybe stay small! There are no rules, thats the beauty of the art world!
Do you think there is a shift in how people are choosing to build their collections?
I think collectors are starting to think about the impact of their buying, do I want to support this artist/ gallery. Do I agree with their morals? People seem to be buying from smaller galleries more frequently (Liminal Gallery is the smallest bricks and mortar contemporary Gallery in the UK, just thought I should add that) because they are paying attention to the Founder/ Curator and buying into their ethos, they are the next generation of gallerists and there are so many exciting ones coming to the fore determined to change the traditional ways of the art world. I’m here for it!
