How celebrity collectors are shaking up the art world, from Swizz Beatz and his wife Alicia Keys, to Leonardo DiCaprio, Jay-Z and Madonna

In the late 90s, when rapper and record producer Kasseem Dean, aka Swizz Beatz, was still a teenager, he tried to buy an artwork from a gallery. “But they didn’t take him seriously,” says Kimberli Gant, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. “He wasn’t a typical collector – he was this young man who they didn’t really know.” But that didn’t deter Dean. He kept attending openings and museum shows, demonstrating a serious interest to gallerists who eventually ushered him into their inner circle. His first major acquisition was a photograph by legendary American artist Ansel Adams. Fast-forward to the present, and Dean – alongside his wife, Grammy Award-winning Alicia Keys – are among the most prominent celebrity collectors in the US. In 2019, the power couple made it onto the esteemed art publication ARTnews’ Top 200 Collectors list. Last year, the Brooklyn Museum staged “Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys”, a sprawling exhibition of about 100 artworks, which is travelling to the Minneapolis Institute of Art this month. The show features just a fraction of their expansive collection. The Deans are among a growing number of celebrities who are gravitating towards collecting contemporary art. Stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Jay-Z, Madonna, Pharrell Williams and Steve Martin are all known to share a similar passion for collecting. “They have homes, boats, exotic cars, staff, clothing and jewellery … once they have everything, they often add the art,” says New York-based art adviser Maria Brito, who has worked with the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Diddy and celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson. Celebrity collecting isn’t a new phenomenon but what has changed is that it’s now becoming much more visible. Stars are getting involved in exhibitions, posting more on social media and making appearances at major art fairs. “What is happening is that the worlds are merging,” says Gant. “I think we’re going to see more exhibitions like ‘Giants’, as celebrities who are serious collectors decide to put their collections out there.” Museums and other art world institutions have become increasingly interested in collaborating with celebrities to attract a broader audience. The “Giants” show pulled in more than 125,000 visitors, including people who travelled from California, Georgia and Maryland. Gant explains that the exhibition injected new life into the museum, offering a non-traditional experience: “The art world has cultivated an expectation of what museum shows should look or feel like, with purely white walls and silence, but this was different.” The exhibition featured several mini living room vignettes with sofas where visitors could lounge and browse through catalogues of artists’ work. Swizz Beatz also created a soundtrack for the show, which was playing in the background: “So there was a lot of Marvin Gaye and smooth music, which creates a beautiful energy when you walk through … and people could get the idea of what it could be like to live with art in their own home,” says Gant. The show – which focuses mainly on work by artists from the Black diaspora – was filled with significant pieces by the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Gordon Parks. Highlights include Arthur Jafa’s sculpture made of monster truck tyres shrouded in iron chains, which evoked a giant gong, and a monumental glistening metallic sound suit sculpture by Nick Cave. At a public talk at the Brooklyn Museum, Dean admitted that when he first started collecting art, he did it to make himself “feel powerful” and to “impress people” with whom he was doing business. But that quickly changed. Over time, he began visiting more artists in their studios and genuinely wanted to support their practice. The Deans are particularly passionate about helping artists from their own community. They describe their approach as “artists supporting artists”. The couple is known for developing a close relationship with the names in their collection, who they invite to stay at their home and join them for family meals. They also see collecting as a means of building a legacy. Brito notes that Dean is a serious collector on one end of the spectrum: “Not every celebrity is the same. Pharrell Williams or Swizz Beatz, for example, are very entrenched in the art world and are willing to go to the studios and the shows. They may have a different type of passion and thinking than [someone like] Justin Bieber.” She adds that contrary to what one may expect, being a celebrity doesn’t necessarily help you get ahead in the art world. “There is no special treatment for them … Sean Combs, Gwyneth and Tracy understood they wouldn’t necessarily be first in line [when acquiring artworks]. But I’ve heard of other celebrities throwing tantrums because they were not given what they thought they deserved.” Brito likens joining the art world to building a credit score. “You must be serious, make purchases, pay on time and not flip an artwork [sell it for a profit shortly after buying it]. Once you have that kind of reputation, galleries are willing to work with you.” Part of doing this legwork involves scouring major exhibitions, biennales and art fairs across the globe for the quality work. Oftentimes, celebrities hire art advisers to do this for them, particularly those who collect discreetly and prefer to stay out of public view. Others like DiCaprio don’t shy away from the limelight and regularly attend popular annual art events such as Art Basel Miami Beach. Brito says Paltrow likes to go to Frieze LA but keeps a low profile. “Last year, for example, she went on the last day. She is very down to earth and doesn’t like the attention,” she says, describing Paltrow’s style as “restrained, where nothing is flashy or bold”. Works in the actress’ collection include pieces by Tracey Emin and Ed Ruscha. Beyond simply collecting for personal pleasure, a handful of celebrities are making a larger impact in the art world. In 2016, Dean launched No Commission, an art fair allowing artists to show their work for free and benefit from 100 per cent of any sales made. Starting off in Miami, in conjunction with Art Basel, there have also been editions held in the Bronx and Shanghai. Dean – who champions African-American artists, including emerging names – is also encouraging other African-American collectors to buy more work from their own culture. “It’s great that celebrities and athletes collect with purpose and passion, and believe in the artists they are supporting … For much younger artists, this can make a difference in their career,” adds Brito. Recently, Hollywood actor and comedian Steve Martin, who was previously known to collect blue-chip names like Pablo Picasso and David Hockney, has now also emerged as one of the most prominent collectors of indigenous Australian art. In 2019, megadealer Larry Gagosian mounted a non-selling show of works from Martin and his wife Anne Stringfield’s collection titled “Desert Painters of Australia”, held at the gallery’s Madison Avenue location in Manhattan. Since then, Gagosian has held shows of aboriginal art in Los Angeles and Hong Kong. Today, an increasing number of institutions and galleries are spotlighting long under-recognised indigenous Australian artists. Other famous collectors are making influential donations to museums, like the producer of the TV series Law & Order, Dick Wolf, who donated more than 200 works of Renaissance and Baroque art, including works by Vincent van Gogh and Botticelli, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The institution is now planning an exhibition of works from the collection. In recent years, celebrity collectors have also been joining museum boards and getting involved with curating shows. “Institutions are realising the importance of having that social capital and [public] awareness through these individuals, so they’re cultivating those relationships,” says Gant. In 2023, Sotheby’s invited R&B legend Kelly Rowland (a former member of Destiny’s Child) to curate a selection of works for a sale in New York. In Asia, the Mando-pop musician Jay Chou and South Korean pop star T.O.P have also curated sales for the auction house. While the art world has long been viewed as elitist, collaborations with celebrity collectors are helping to break down barriers and pique the interest of a much broader audience. “People want to feel welcomed into [the art world] whether they have millions of dollars or not,” says Gant. “Folks may come into the museum for a celebrity, but stay for another show and get a whole new experience they weren’t anticipating.”