On this year’s International Women’s Day, I am so happy to announce Mishelle Brito as my Co-Director and Art Represent’s COO.
There are many reasons why someone might start a business, but there is only one reason why someone stays with it. The reason to keep going, especially when the path of entrepreneurship feels like an endless uphill journey, is that the business they started is personal. The passion and desire to see it exist in the world is what sustains a founder through the unknown.
I started Art Represent in 2015 because I wanted to find a way for people to hear the stories of those who are not given a voice. I wanted to find a way to connect people. Being born in Tibet and migrating to London, I have always felt the responsibility of someone who has “seen the other side.” To shed light on the systems of oppression that create inherent divisions, finding creative ways to show people that the fear, bias, and prejudice we feel is based on false narratives.
After experiencing a personal tragedy, health issues, and a pandemic, I know that Art Represent is still personal for me. But the life of a lone founder is lonely and I have longed to find a co-founder. But this is not a project that promises personal wealth, and it can also be emotional work when our artists and their families are affected by ongoing conflicts. So I knew that whoever came along would have to share this personal belief that art can help us look beyond political discord to find our shared and lived human experiences.
I am therefore grateful and excited to officially welcome Mishelle Brito to Art Represent as Co-Director and COO. I first reached out to Mishelle over Instagram because of an exhibition she had curated, and soon began working together on a project for Art Represent. Over the past year, I’ve come to know Mishelle as a colleague and as a person. We complement each other’s skillsets and share a vision for Art Represent’s future success. I have no doubt that we will accomplish great things together and can’t wait to share the next steps of our Art Represent’s journey with you all!.
