Anita and Poju Zabludowicz

Anita and Poju Zabludowicz

About

About

Statement regarding the situation in Israel, Gaza, and surrounding territories, October 2023:

We are deeply saddened and troubled by the horrific war that is unfolding in Israel and Gaza. We strongly support a Two-State Solution and peaceful existence that guarantees the rights of Israelis and Palestinians to live and work side by side, in cooperation with the wider Middle East. 

We founded the Zabludowicz Collection because we believe in the power of culture and art to build bridges across divides, and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of all those affected.  We hope a peaceful solution can be reached as soon as possible.
Anita and Poju Zabludowicz, October 2023

Anita and Poju founded the Zabludowicz Collection in the 1990s, and in 2007 created a UK charity to bring a public ethos to their private art collection. They have always been committed to sharing artwork with as many people as possible, and in supporting future artists. The dedicated team of staff at the Zabludowicz Collection oversee a broad range of activities, all aiming to support and create opportunities for artists and curators, and the public to engage with world class art.

Anita and Poju Zabludowicz are committed to the future of art and visual culture, and between 2007 and 2023 ran a ground-breaking exhibition programme - including the first dedicated exhibition space for Virtual Reality art works - at their gallery in a former Methodist Chapel in Camden, North London. During its 16 year run, over 250,000 people visited the exhibitions and events at 176 Prince of Wales Road. Recently the Collection’s work has expanded across the globe, with initiatives including a residency programme in Finland.

The Collection team looks after over 8000 artworks by over 600 artists and actively seeks opportunities for the public to engage with the artworks in its care via free of charge loans to projects around the world. Since 2011, over 528 artworks have been loaned to more than 238 institutions, reaching an enormous audience in over 40 countries. More information on current and past commissions, exhibitions, events and loans can be found on the Zabludowicz Collection website.

All activity is underpinned by events that offer the public, artists, and art specialists alike, the possibility to engage with and learn about art in different ways, from professional development programmes to panel discussions.

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Finland-born Poju has been the CEO of Tamares Group since 1990. After selling the companies established by his father, Shlomo Zabludowicz, a Polish citizen and Holocaust survivor, Poju founded Ivory Gate (now Tamares Group). The Tamares Group is a family-run business focusing on global investments in real estate, private equity, hospitality and technology.

Beyond the business and collecting interests, in recent decades, Poju has been heavily committed to facilitating and enabling conversations aimed at advancing peace in the Middle East and beyond.

Poju is a supporter of the Peres Centre for Peace and Innovation and has hosted key negotiations with representatives from both sides of the conflict in his homes. After coordinating several productive discussions, Poju has formalised and structured the concept as Global Conversations.

Both Poju and Anita are strong advocates for lasting peace in the Middle East: they passionately support a Two-State Solution that guarantees the rights of Palestinians and Israelis to live and work side by side in peace.

Anita was born and raised in Newcastle. She has been actively involved in the art world since the early 1990s, having studied fine art before enrolling at the Inchbald School of Design in London to become an interior architect. Anita studied modern art and auctioneering at Christie’s and soon began to collect the work of emerging artists. In 2015 Anita was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to art and philanthropy.  She is a proactive fundraiser for exhibitions and collections, and is committed to sharing art with as wide a public as possible. Anita has always sought to support the work of early career artists, and many of those she has discovered have become household names in contemporary art. She has held several positions at cultural institutions, where she has dedicated considerable time to making art accessible for all.