Amanda Lay
Art Consultant

Amanda Lay began her career as an art consultant in 1981, specialising in Middle Eastern art consultancy. She then shifted her focus to nurturing emerging talents from MA programs across the UK. Venturing across England, Scotland and Ireland, Amanda scouted and supported young artists, driven by a passion for aiding those in the early stages of their careers: “The thing that drives me is artists at the beginning of their careers when they need to pay for paint and paper. There's nothing quite like the thrill of selling a young artist's work and knowing it's helping them heat their studio!”

In 1997, Amanda left the confines of a formal gallery space to pursue the realm of pop-up exhibitions. In 2000, Amanda curated two consecutive sell-out shows alongside artist Tim Maguire. Amanda has showcased the work of various artists, including Robert Maclaurin, whom she discovered in 1984, straight after completing his postgraduate diploma at Edinburgh College of Art. Maclaurin has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Sir Robert Menzies Fellowship to Australia in 1995-96 and the Noble Grossart Scottish Painting Prize in 1998. On the back of his Fellowship, Maclaurin received an Exceptional Talent Visa and moved to Australia in 2001. He regularly returns to Scotland, with the landscapes of both countries inspiring his large canvases. 

In 2018, Amanda collaborated closely with the circus impresario and artist Nell Gifford, who was battling cancer at the time. For Amanda, Nell exemplified precisely what she values in every artist: a profound ability and dedication to drawing. An artist’s skill and passion for drawing resonate strongly with Amanda—the very craft of draughtsmanship. In curating Nell's first pop-up exhibition of energetic pencil drawings of circus life, Amanda aimed to capture and convey this essence, showcasing Nell's mastery of drawing. Tragically, Nell passed away before the second curated exhibition, full of circus scenes of horses, acrobats and trapeze artists could open. However, in a poignant tribute to Nell's remarkable talent, an auction of her drawings and paintings was held at Olympia Auctions that sold out well above the estimates. 

Amanda’s Australian heritage instils in her a profound love for landscape paintings. However, this appreciation extends beyond Australian landscapes, encompassing the beauty of Scottish and English scenery as well as the dreamlike-scapes such as those by Adrienne Gaha. Amanda's discerning eye is evident in her support for artists skillfully depicting these scenes, such as Robert Maclaurin.