Collect Week: Candida Stevens - 5 Minutes with a Friend

Candida Stevens is a curator and gallerist with a background in art history, business psychology, and art finance. After two decades immersed in business, she transitioned to independent curation, founding Candida Stevens Gallery in 2013.

Since then, the gallery has gained a strong reputation in the UK for its ambitious curatorial themes and its ability to attract leading contemporary British artists. With a keen curatorial vision, the gallery produces thought-provoking exhibitions that explore significant themes through new and relevant work, with exhibitions presented in both London and Chichester, including as an exhibiting member of Cromwell Place.

Now, for Collect Art Fair 2025, the Candida Stevens gallery presents the work of four artists working across textiles and ceramics in the West Wing of Somerset House.

We spoke with Candida to explore her perspective on the significance of textiles:

Candida, what is your first memory of textiles?

I wasn’t aware of textiles as a collectable art form until we started working with Alice Kettle. It is entirely because of her that this has become a focus for the gallery. I have always been drawn to the colour and pattern of textiles, as will be clear from our gallery artists and whenever I travel I am seduced by the cultural textiles of the place.

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Image Credits:

Lead Image: Alice Kettle, Kingmakers, 2025

All images courtesy of Candida Stevens Gallery