What drives the next generation of art collectors? In this series, we explore how NextGen collectors are reshaping the landscape of collecting through instinct, access, relationships, and lived experience - from their first encounters with art to the values that shape what, how, and why they collect today.
In this article, meet Henrik Kanekrans, whose approach to collecting is rooted in an ecosystem of friends, family, and community, where art sparks conversation and reflects personal identity, and who believes that engaging with the art world should not require “armor.”
Image of Henrik Kanekrans in his home. Works by
Courtesy of Henrik Kanekrans. Photo by Gustaf Karlsson Frosty
When and how did you start collecting art?
I started buying when I got my first proper home. One of my earliest purchases was a work by British artist Nick Goss, which in fact my wife (today) spotted. But there is no one defining moment, just a series of encounters and people along the way who made art impossible to ignore. Still works that way.
Did you grow up with art and has this influenced your approach to collecting?
My parents love art. Weekends meant galleries, museums and works at home that sparked friends’ reactions. So I guess it’s right to say I was influenced. It has provided a type of ”home-school” education and an intuitive understanding of living with art.
Our approach is pretty similar. We primarily collect living artists from the Scandinavian art scene. The difference is in the hunt. I'm fine using online tools and buying directly from artists, even before they have a gallery representation. My parents are more traditional in that sense, working mostly through galleries, though I've caught them scrolling Instagram and online. Our approaches are merging, which is fun to watch.
I've been gifted works, and they're as integral to our collection and home as everything else. They create wonderful memories and spark great conversations around the dinner table. There's no hierarchy between what we've chosen ourselves and what's been passed down. They all contribute to the story we're living with.
Where do you usually discover new artists or works?
All of the above plus friends, family and trusted communities. For instance, my younger sister and her husband are deep into the arts, so we're constantly sharing discoveries. It's a mix of formal and informal channels, which makes it fun and interesting.
Online access is convenient for discovery, sure, but it mainly makes me hungry for the real thing. Seeing work online isn't particularly sexy, to be honest. I want to stand in front of it, feel the scale, see the texture and talk to the artist or the gallery staff. Online is the appetizer; visiting studios and galleries is the real deal.
Image of Henrik Kanekrans in his home. Work by Helene Billgren
Courtesy of Henrik Kanekrans. Photo by Gustaf Karlsson Frosty
Image of Henrik Kanekrans' home. Works by Ditte Ejlerskov and
Courtesy of Henrik Kanekrans. Photo by Gustaf Karlsson Frosty
How do social values and a sense of community influence your decision to purchase work from a particular artist or gallery?
It’s very much about being part of an ecosystem, discovering new things, getting to know new people and perspectives. Probably also to a degree social image. Your art is like your bookshelf or your music playlists: it broadcasts who you are. It's an intimate map of your personal journey, values, and what you geek out about. You can easily slip into buying something because you think it is a good investment rather than because you truly love it. Try to avoid that, if I don’t love it, try not to care.
The conversations are hands down the most important. It is also an emotional experience and the daily dividend of living with something that moves you.
Do you think you are more open to collecting different media than older generations?
I think it's more about personality than generation. Some people are more adventurous, others have their lane and stick to it, regardless of age. That said, there's definitely a wider smörgåsbord today. Video, digital, installation, performance and so on, the menu is bigger, which naturally makes it easier to find entry points that resonate. But I’ve met plenty of older collectors who are more experimental than I am.
I don’t have a single preferred media. I’m kind of stubbornly open-minded about it. I’ll chase a painting one day, fall for a quirky sculpture the next, or get sucked into a textile work that distracts my attention. If the piece speaks to me, hits me emotionally, or just makes me grin like an idiot, that’s what matters most.
How do you prioritise spending on art compared to other goods or experiences?
I don’t really treat art as something that competes head-to-head with vacations, fancy dinners, or other big-ticket stuff. It’s more of a separate joy that sneaks in when the timing and piece feel just right. Essentials and family needs always come first, obviously.
No drama, no big justifications, just trying to balance what makes us happy now with not regretting it later.
That said, my realistic, slightly boring side usually kicks in. The 'art brain' says 'yes!' and then the ’dad/husband/budget/space brain' goes: ”Okay, but… do we have any space? Will the rest of the family love it or will there be a family referendum?” And of course, the price tag. Keeps things exciting… and occasionally humbling!
How do you think your generation perceives owning works of art? Is it still seen as elitist?
I hope attitudes are shifting, because art should be accessible to everyone. We are exposed to and educated about the values much more today than even just a few years ago - culturally, socially, even economically. That should push us - individuals, businesses and the society to embrace it more and make it genuinely inclusive.
Galleries can absolutely be awkward. But then again, so are most things new to us. Personally, I’m not too bothered. I'm not easily intimidated, or afraid to ask questions. If someone makes me feel unwelcome, that says more about them. But we shouldn't require that armor, the system needs to be better.
If you could change or innovate one thing about the art world, what would it be?
The art itself is already magical and so are the artists and most people within. It is the attitude and experience that is too reserved and up-tight. Fix that, and I bet the whole scene gets bigger, happier, and way more interesting for everyone. It's a common-sense fix, not a grand manifesto. To be honest, CHART is a great example.
How do you see your generation influencing the art market in the coming years?
We're a bit of a lost generation. Born in the '80s, we're sandwiched between boomers who bought art as luxury and consumed like there was no tomorrow, and the Millennials who consume less and more consciously and who've grown up with social media democratising access to most things.
But maybe that's our influence: we're the bridge. We remember the traditional gallery system but we're digital natives enough to embrace new platforms. We founded art-tech startups (guilty), pushed for transparency, and started asking uncomfortable questions about accessibility.
So our legacy might be how we pushed the system to evolve - or at least tried to. We showed up, we pushed, and hopefully we left the door more open than we found it.
Image of Henrik Kanekrans' home. Works by Emil Westman Hertz and LG Lundberg
Courtesy of Henrik Kanekrans. Photo by Anne Nyblaeus
Image of Henrik Kanekrans' home. Work by Windy Fur Rundgren
Courtesy of Henrik Kanekrans
Where is your collection headed - do you have an artist you wish to own a work of, or do you have a specific collecting strategy looking ahead?
There are so many artists I'm drawn to, which is exactly how I like it. I hope this is just the beginning of a much longer journey.
Top of mind? I’d love to add some paintings by Rita Lundqvist, Martin Solymar, Gina Beavers, and Tommy Svenningsson Krek. I love the sculptures by Lena Cronqvist, Hans Isaksson, Fredrik Nielsen, Cajsa von Zeipel and the late legend Emil Westman-Hertz. But ask me in three months and the list will have completely changed, that’s part of the thrill.
Geographically, I want to explore more. The UK contemporary scene is close to my heart, but I'm increasingly drawn to what's happening in Asia, Poland, India, and the US.
Strategy?
Make more money, buy more art. Simple as that. A private sculpture garden would be a nice dream looking ahead. Art in the open air where conversations can flow between works, nature and different generations. A place where friends and passing people can wander through with a glass of something cold, where kids can run on the grass between sculptures without anyone wincing. Art that lives and breathes rather than sits behind a rope. Galleri Arnstedt just outside Båstad in the south of Sweden is a fantastic example. Whether that stays a dream or becomes real, who knows. But founding an art-tech platform taught me that far-fetched ideas have a funny way of becoming projects.
“It’s very much about being part of an ecosystem, discovering new things, getting to know new people and perspectives. Your art is like your bookshelf or your music playlists: it broadcasts who you are.”
Entrepreneur and art collector
Henrik Kanekrans is part entrepreneur, part collector, all arts and business. Today he is dedicated to Punch Interior, professionally.
Kanekran’s collection includes works by Roger Hansson, Alexandra Karpilovski, Linnea Rygaard, Maria Miesenberger, Nick Goss, Annika von Hausswolff, Olivia Pettersson Fleur, August Nilsson, Per B Sundberg, Windy Fur Rundgren, Oskar Hult, Lena Cronqvist, Linn Fernström, Emil Westman Hertz, Richard Johansson, Hans Lannér, Helene Billgren, Leo Park, LG Lundberg, Ditte Ejlerskov, Amy Feldman, Helena Blomqvist, Bella Rune, Haidar Mahdi, Jan Håfström, Leif-Erik Nygård, Marcus Eek, Peter Frie, Olof Inger, Jack Pierson, Erland Cullberg, and Denise Grünstein, among others.
@henrikkanekrans
Photo by Annika Berglund
