MUNTHE ART MONDAY: EMMANUELLE CALLERAME

Please introduce yourself and tell us about what you do.

My name is Emmanuelle Callerame. I am a French art advisor and independent curator based in Paris. After several years working in the art market, I came to a simple realization: anyone can fall in love with a work of art - regardless of their knowledge of art, personal taste, or budget - provided they know where to look. Yet many of us don’t naturally step into galleries, contact artists directly, or attend auctions - not because we lack interest, but simply because we were never taught or encouraged to do so. That’s why I launched the new curator in 2024: a personalized and unconventional art advisory service designed to make art more accessible and less intimidating. Every day, I work with private collectors and companies to help them find artworks they genuinely connect with, start or expand their collections, and develop projects with contemporary artists - such as exhibitions, events, or live painting performances. In short, I’m part treasure hunter - just without the fedora

Emmanuelle is wearing our ROSSI TOP and RONAN PANTS from our Pre Spring 2026-collection.

Artwork by Cyril Destrade, "Ballet floral", 2023

Can you name some other female (curators, gallery owners or women in the arts) that inspires you and explain why they do so?

Right now, I see a real renewal on the emerging art scene, with exciting young figures such as entrepreneur and podcast host Lyse De Quillacq, who runs Innover dans le Monde de l’Art (with some episodes in English!), as well as artist agent and writer Axelle Delorme. I also think of entrepreneur Christelle Dupart, founder of the collective Les Hang’Art, which brings together over 450 artists. Each of them works to make the art world warmer and fairer, and the energy they dedicate to serving their vision, without ever compromising themselves, is absolutely inspiring. I also want to acknowledge feminist authors Mona Chollet and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, as well as the podcasts of Victoire Tuaillon and Lauren Bastide, whose voices have profoundly shaped my vision and encouraged me to dare - to take risks and assert my vision.

Artwork by Alice-Anne Augustin, "Voluto", 2024

Emmanuelle is wearing our ROGER TOP from our Pre Spring 2026-collection.

What would you like people to notice in the way you work with your curation?

My curatorial approach is both personal and engaged. After spending years in the art world and repeatedly seeing the same artists being put forward - sometimes with little regard for their ethical values and mostly for their market value - I felt the need to reintroduce intention and awareness into curatorial choices. In the same way that we now think more consciously about the clothes we wear or the food we consume, I believe it is important to support artists whose convictions we truly share. For this reason, the artists I propose to my clients are always artists I know personally, whose work I admire not only for its artistic strength, but also for the values they embody - respect, kindness, and a commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

Emmanuelle is wearing our ROSSI TOP and RONAN PANTS from our Pre Spring 2026-collection.

Could you explain more about how being a woman has affected your career?

As a woman - and especially as a young woman - in the art industry, I often felt I had to work twice as hard to prove my competence. From my very first professional experiences, I noticed that positions of power were most often held by men, while women were more frequently found in support roles. At times, this made me question whether leadership was truly a place for me - until I encountered studies showing that such self-doubt is largely shaped by the absence of visible female role models.

Studying art history showed me that the invisibility of women artists is not accidental but constructed - and even political. It is harsh, but also hopeful: what was constructed can be undone. Today, I believe that being a woman has actually helped me imagine a new way of acquiring and engaging with art - one that moves away from traditional models toward a more inclusive approach, where everyone feels legitimate in their relationship to art.

Artwork by Jules Cier, "Passage en forêt", 2023

What has been the most challenging aspect of being a woman in the arts?

The art world is deeply ambivalent. Behind the glamour of openings and champagne lies intense hard work, a sometimes unforgiving environment, and a fair share of chance. As an entrepreneur in this field, I constantly navigate between the polished façade and the economic realities faced by curators and artists. In an ecosystem long dominated by a small group of actors - often men, with strong cultural and financial capital - it can be hard for a woman’s voice to be heard. That said, I am encouraged by the efforts recently made by institutions, museums, and art fairs to finally give women artists the visibility they deserve. I also see a genuine sense of sorority emerging among female artists and entrepreneurs in the arts, which I find both powerful and hopeful.

Detail from an artwork by Elena Ryo, Alatheia, 2025, water-based lacquer on wood