Q. Where did your passion for art develop?
A. I developed a passion for Art at a very young age. Unlike many art loving students, it was not art classes that inspired my fascination with the subject (despite them being great fun); rather, it was history and archaeology, which exposed me to the field of material culture and design. My incurable fascination with all aspects of Near Eastern art and archaeology, Medieval studies, and Pre-Raphaelite paintings, and my endless curiosity inspired many of my achievements.
Q. What led you to start your own business?
A. Besides the usual cliché of right place, right time and right idea, I have my family to thank for much of what I’ve achieved. I’ve always been surrounded by achievers and enterprising spirits, and had the financial ability to pursue any of my dreams -and with that, you can achieve anything! Hence it was only natural for me to pursue my ambitions to the fullest extent.
I also believe that the confidence and self-belief that I had gained through previous work experience were key motivators to start my own business. In total, I spent 8 years working for both my family business, Francis Busuttil & Sons Ltd, where I managed high profile brands such as Glenfiddich, Laurent Perrier, Luxardo, DeKuyper, and Hine Cognac, and for alcohol-industry titans William Grant & Sons, where I was a brand ambassador. Albeit being different sectors, premium alcohol and art both fall into the luxury category of the goods market, and working in such professional and large firms provided insight into process efficiency, aspects of logistics, networking, ethical behavior and so on, all vital to Artemisia’s naissance. However, my serial-achieving nature also forced me to break the boundaries created by these experiences; I aspire to constantly explore higher levels of professionalism, discretion, efficiency, expertise, and client and community experience. Of course, the fact that Malta has never seen a business quite like this before was also a huge motivational (and terrifying) factor.
Q. What do you find most rewarding about running your own business?
A. I suppose the sense of being a pioneer in the field and knowing that I am finally in a position to bring a wealth of good to the society I am a part of are the most rewarding aspects of having my own business.
Q. What aspects of studying at Christie’s Education did you enjoy most?
A. The expertise and passion displayed by every lecturer was just dreamy; the clarity and articulation they used to express themselves in class still baffles me, and their discussions of art in a wholly respectful and technical manner really brought me close to first class connoisseurship. Another point worth noting is the strength of the course content; vast, expert, intense and fun, focused on imparting skills vital to connoisseurship, enriched by the internship experience, and further supplemented by visits to the most sublime manor houses and iconic museums...Mamma Mia! Take me back now, please!
Q. How did your degree assist your career path?
A. My Master’s at CE helped by providing me with access to top educators and specialists (who in turn supplied us with notes that I still reference back to today). These figures exposed me to a certain standard not really present in Malta, a standard that fuels my ambition as it gives me something to aspire to…to champion those refined values present in key staff members at the school and auction house!