We're Liezel and Kitty, and we’re passionate about bringing great art to as many people as possible.
Our Story of Art
Liezel and her husband Jon founded Subject Matter in Tokyo in 2011, one of the world's first online art galleries, with a dream of making art-buying enjoyable for everyone. Moving around the world for a decade, to many different cities - Cape Town, Hamburg, London, Tokyo - they'd had to create a new home so many times. And they found the common thread that helped them was the art that travelled around the world with them, and which gave them fresh delight every time they opened a packing crate.
Kitty joined the business in 2015, after she and Liezel met in London (they were neighbours!). The two women now run the business together. Kitty grew up in a family that bought art, but living in a three generation home meant accommodating some *wildly* differing tastes. She learnt, literally from toddlerhood, that it genuinely does not matter what other people find tasteful, as long as you love what is on your walls.
We challenge traditional gallery models
Artists are paid fairly
One of the first online galleries
A focus on underrepresented artists
Everyone welcome
Transparent Pricing
No silly art speak
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Kitty Dinshaw
Co-founder & Artist Director
Kitty and Liezel bonded over a shared love of art, in London, many years ago. Kitty loves working with artists; spending afternoons in a messy studio and really getting to know and understand their practices.
She has (co-) curated a number of pop-up exhibitions in various spaces in London - at the Royal College of Art, and in abandoned shops, private members clubs, and her own home - as well as a number of art calls.
Kitty is also the co-creator (with Liezel) of a popular programme at the Royal College of Art, which teaches students about the business side of the art world through a series of workshops, lectures and exhibitions. She regularly gives online webinars to various artist groups around the world on building a sustainable art career.
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Liezel Strauss
Co-founder & Creative Director
South African-born Liezel co-founded Subject Matter with her husband Jon Hindley, in 2011 - it was one of the the very first online art galleries. Liezel's creative endeavours span four continents over a decade.
In 2018 she launched ArtGirlRising in support of female artists. In 2019 Liezel was chosen to be one of only nine innovators to represent the UN Women 'Impossible to Ignore' campaign and she was named one of the UN Women's top 100 female innovators worldwide.
In 2020 Liezel co-founded Where Are The Women Artists? - a database and open directory for women artists. At the moment Liezel is working on FairArt2030 a pledge project for inclusion and diversity in museums and galleries, in keeping with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for 2030.
