Haykoff Gallery-Aesthetic Pleasure
Bella Haykoff is an accomplished art dealer, collector and business consultant based in Beverly Hills, California. Known as one of the most astute dealers of modern paintings on the West Coast, she has sold various international artists from around the world such as Robert Rauschenberg, Ivan Aivazovsky, Ivan Shishkin, Martiros Saryan, Minas Avetisyan and Konstantin Korovin, to name a few. Bella holds both a Presidents’ and Key Executive Masters degree in Business Administration and PKE MBA, from Pepperdine University. A successful, multifaceted entrepreneur, her portfolio includes the Haykoff Gallery, a private, appointment only art gallery showcasing exclusive collections throughout the world.
In 2015, Haykoff reconnected with the world-renowned artist Martiros Manoukian. Immediately recognizing his genius, she purchased the artist’s entire inventory of original Martiros paintings and other Martiros artworks worth an estimated $100 million. In 2018, she purchased a copyright for all artworks and intellectual property created by Martiros, making her the sole representative of his originals. To this day in 2020, this makes Bella one of the most internationally coveted art collectors, holding the keys to the incredible legacy of Martiros.
Coco Leto: Tell us about your background and beginnings.
Bella Haykoff: I grew up in a home full of art. My family has always collected art for as long as I can remember in Armenia. I grew up in a home where art was always hanging from walls such as Gevorg Bashinjaghian, Minas Avetisyan, Martiros Saryan, Ivan Shishkin, Konstantin Korovin, Ivan Aivazovsky, Robert Rauschenberg and sculptures such as Salvador Dali. Moreover, I have extended family members who are painters, artists, poets and writers including my mother, who’s a writer. Art has always been embedded in me. Fast forward from childhood, I come from a long line of entrepreneurs. I embarked on my new journey to the U.S. in 2000 where I started growing a small family business into a large operating manufacturing. I began working on various business projects until I reconnected with artist Martiros Manoukian, who I have known since childhood. Martiros needed financial help and was preparing to retire to go back to live in Armenia. When I first walked into his studio, I saw artwork I had never seen before, which blew me away. Pieces he never had showcased. It was a secret collection he had been working on for decades. To me, this was the 21st century’s most mesmerizing art work in existence. I then made it my mission to showcase these paintings to the world. This collection deserved to be seen and I did not want them to be locked away forever.
Tell us about your inspiration for the artworld.
Art to me is the highest form of aesthetic pleasure. Art is a form of communication that cannot be said in words. Art is the highest form of one’s expression and imagination. Particularly, the inspiration in ‘The Constellation Collection’ is the harmony in colors (how do all these intense colors live together in such harmony?). The hues of colors used are out of standard, the mixed media combinations (how does oil live with water color in such a perfect painting?), technique and color mastery that cannot be copied. In today’s digital and advanced world, mostly everything can be copied, however, ‘The Constellation Collection’ will be impossible to copy.
What is your daily life inspiration?
The lifestyle I’ve created for myself from the ground up inspires me daily. Learning, gaining knowledge, and striving for freedom of mind is what inspires me. Continuously growing and shaping the lifestyle I envision for myself, my surroundings and the world, is what’s inspirational on a daily basis. What I would consider my accomplishments, which are part of my personal inspiration, are all my experiences throughout life including my highest education, my family and individuals of prominence.
Can you tell us about your artist selection process?
As much as I would love to work with all the artists that cross my path, I am usually limited to choose one artist at a time simply because I don’t just offer four white gallery walls to sell their paintings and monetize. I create awe inspiring experiences and give the artist not only my undivided attention, but also with my whole being, mind and soul I commit to creating their legacy. In Martiros’ case, I selected his art because these were the kind of art works I had never seen before. I have traveled a lot and visited most museums, art galleries but have never seen such unique in kind works like ‘The Constellation Collection.’ I had known Martiros art from what was presented or sold online, and via various auction houses, but when I first saw ‘The Constellation Collection,’ I immediately had the desire to work hard with a determination to shine a light on it.
Tell us about the concept behind the gallery?
I wanted to have a gallery where I could have the paintings displayed in a perfect setting, where one would be able to have enough space and peace, with no distractions and most importantly, with no time limitation to be able gaze into the artists’ masterpieces. I wanted to create an environment specifically fit to the impressive art collection, hence my private estate gallery was born.
What is your galleries differentiation factor?
What excites me about my gallery is that it is more than just a four white wall gallery feeling like you’re at a retail shop. My gallery is an experience of an imagination and is not a commercial setting. Even when we bring the paintings to showcase outside of the gallery we still create an environment where it is possible to gaze, to see the light, the detail, the magic and the wonder of it all. To fully understand, experience and enjoy the art we do not limit time.
In particular, our gallery is a private estate where people can stay in hotel-style guest rooms, wine and dine, and most importantly, have unlimited time to enjoy the aesthetic pleasure of the art. The experience we created allows them to be around the art in a comfortable setting, to truly soak in the beautiful creations and truly connect to the pieces, and visualize them in their homes. The Constellation Collection currently being showcased, is a world class art exhibit, and belongs to a new genre in the art realm (Marmillism).
What pieces and styles have received the most interest recently from your gallery collection?
Marmilism has sparked the most interest as there is tremendous curiosity about this new genre in the art realm, and art collectors eagerly want to see what it is all about. They have never heard or seen of the genre Marmilism, so guests have a lot of questions upon their first interaction, and are fascinated over what we have.
What is your most notable art deal?
One of my biggest art deals is owning a $100 million USD collection including the Intellectual Property and patented Artist rights. I have sold a single Martiros work for $5 million USD and a few more works for similar amounts purely driven by the collector’s love at first sight. It is a big deal because Martiros wasn’t yet known to the masses as being a bluechip artist when I sold his first painting for millions.
What is your unique niche?
What makes me unique is my unstoppable belief and faith. The art I choose to represent is uncopyable and unique in style/genre. I have enough vision, motivation and resources to push the artist and the art to becoming world recognized.
Art entrepreneur Bella Haykoff continues to maintain herself as a well-respected female art dealer and gallery owner on an international level. Appointments are available upon request to the Beverly Hills studio, as well as via skype and home visit due to Covid-19, all of which showings include their high end white-glove service.
