Collecting Today – Building a Collection with Purpose

What does it mean to collect art today, when everything feels faster, smaller, and more connected than ever? In contrast to collecting as a social activity or a focus on objects and design, this conversation centres on the individual collector – their eye, their instincts, and the deeply personal reasons we choose to live with art.

In this thoughtful and practical discussion, Good Oil Podcast Host Graeme Douglas, Gallerist Jhana Millers, Photographer Nicole England and Yu Mei Founder Jessie Wong, explore how to begin collecting with clarity and confidence and how that approach evolves over time. From choosing a first artwork to refining a collection years later, they reflect on how taste develops, how trust is built, and how collecting can be guided by curiosity rather than accumulation.

The conversation also considers how art brings a home to life: how living with works that carry meaning shapes atmosphere, memory, and daily experience. Rather than focusing on trends or scale, this talk offers insight into collecting with intention and choosing pieces that resonate, stand the test of time, and reflect who you are and what you value

Designed to speak equally to those just starting out and those with established collections, this session offers grounded advice, lived experience, and reassurance that collecting well isn’t about more, it’s about looking closely, choosing carefully, and living meaningfully with art.

Graeme Douglas | Moderator
Jhana Millers | Speaker
Nicole England | Speaker
Jessie Wong | Speaker 

Graeme Douglas produces a podcast, The Good Oil, dedicated to long form conversations with Aotearoa artists.  He is also an avid collector, motivated by a want to support the important role that artists play in reflecting who we are, and the unique experience that comes with living with art works.

Nicole England is a Melbourne-based architecture and interiors photographer who has worked with many of the industry’s top architects and designers, both in Australia and abroad. When Nicole isn’t shooting architecture and design for work, she can be found photographing personal projects – most of which have an architectural focus. The best known of these is Resident Dog, which grew to become a book that captured the hearts of dog and design lovers around the world. She has also just released a new book, Art in Residence.

Jessie Wong is the eponymous founder and owner of Yu Mei, a leather goods label with a focus on utility and regeneration. She started creating bags when she couldn’t find one that would carry everything she needed in a day, discovering that most were based on a blueprint of women’s role in society 100 years ago. Purses for love letters and lipstick are all very well and glamourous, but Jessie wanted one that could carry her laptop and lunchbox. And so Yu Mei was born, a brand that not only prioritises function and form, but looks beautiful doing it.

Let’s Talk Art presented by Aon, brings together 30 artists, curators, designers, and collectors for 10 compelling talks over three days.

Entry to Let’s Talk Art is on a first come, first serve basis. There is no RSVP.

A valid ticket to the Aotearoa Art Fair 2026 is required for entry to this talk. Buy tickets online.