Olyvia Kwok – Founder
Olyvia Kwok has spent more than twenty years immersed in the art world, building a reputation as a sharp-eyed dealer, investor and strategist. Renowned for her instinctive feel for the market and her appetite for bold decisions, she has worked across every corner of the industry, from emerging scenes to high-stakes blue-chip investments.
Born in Beijing and raised between Hong Kong and the UK, Olyvia began her career in finance before following her instincts into the art world. At just twenty-three she opened her first gallery in London’s St James’s, introducing Chinese contemporary art to a UK audience. Collectors and institutions took note, with many well-established galleries subsequently launching their own departments in the field. She went on to broaden her focus, dealing in modern masters, post-war works and American pop art.
Olyvia has always combined her commercial intuition with an innate sense of timing, giving her the ability to identify value before it is visible to the rest of the market. Over the years, she has led major private sales, structured complex investment deals, and helped clients build and refine collections with strong long-term value.
In 2014, she launched the UK’s first private art lending fund, years before this practice became mainstream. Through her business Willstone Management, she introduced a new way of thinking about art as an asset, offering clients access to club deals, auction guarantees and cross-border arbitrage. For the duration of her career, Olyvia has put her own capital behind her convictions. This approach sets her apart in an industry often underwritten by other people’s risk.
Based in Mayfair, Bruton + Co is the culmination of Olyvia’s decades long experience, providing tailored support to collectors, investors, and artists alike. As founder and leader, this new venture will reflect Olyvia’s belief that art can be both deeply personal and strategically powerful, and fulfill a desire to connect people with what they love and help them to build something lasting in the process.