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Sophie Ashby seldom has a free moment. The interior designer – founder of Studio Ashby, as well as United in Design, a charity aiming to redress the lack of diversity within the industry – is a political and creative force of nature. An art-lover through and through, she’s found no better place to decompress over the years than at the Royal Academy of Arts.
Housed in Burlington House in Piccadilly since 1768, the RA is home to the UK’s longest-running art school. Every year since its inception, it has hosted an annual summer exhibition, one of the largest open-submission shows in the world – and Sophie’s never missed it. She takes me through her amour with this illustrious palace of contemporary art (and its rather excellent gift shop), her beloved haunt in London on her rare slow days.
When did you discover The Royal Academy?
Sophie Ashby: My first memory of going to the RA and being blown away was in 2009, at the Anish Kapoor exhibition. I've always been obsessed with art, but my art education at school mainly helped me to appreciate the great Classical painters. This exhibition was the first time I truly understood why contemporary and installation art could be so powerful and impressive.
What does the Royal Academy mean to you?
SA: I find it's an inspiring, calming and centring place that I associate with having spare time. Sometimes I go with my husband, alone on my days off from work, or to meet up with a friend. As I'm walking around the exhibition, I switch off and use my phone to take snaps of my favourite moments. I was a young patron for quite a few years so it's somewhere I've always been quite actively involved. I just love it there and always leave feeling inspired and creative – like I've taken a deep breath.
Could you pinpoint a favourite memory you have there?
SA: The Abstract Expressionism show in 2017. I went with my husband one weekend and it was the first time I’d seen all these great American painters in one room – from Rothko to Pollock to De Kooning. I'd read about and studied the artworks at university, but that was the first time I'd seen them in real life, [and all] in one place. I was just blown away by their scale and expressive brushstrokes.
How often do you go and when was the last time you were there?
SA: I probably go every couple of months; most recently, I went to the Milton Avery exhibition with my friend and our babies. I love the fact that the RA is a really intimate, human-scale gallery; it’s not like going to Tate Modern or the Louvre, where it all feels rather overwhelming.
What's something someone might not know about the Royal Academy?
SA: If you’re a member, you can access the Academicians’ Room. It’s a beautiful, colourful little space designed by Martin Brudnizki, and it feels like an old library. The other thing I must say, though it isn’t really a secret, is that the gift shop is the best in London – and, more surprisingly, it has an amazing jewellery selection. It’s impossible for me to visit without spending hundreds of pounds.
Could you describe your typical experience at the Royal Academy?
SA: I start by meeting a friend at Poster Bar by José, round the back, for coffee – it’s a bit quieter there. I’ve now learnt the ideal route for a pram, which involves multiple lifts and crazy directions. Every year I visit the summer exhibition, taking a little notebook with me to write down things that inspired me and artists to work with in the future. And then, of course, I couldn’t possibly finish a visit to the Royal Academy of Arts without buying books, postcards and gifts in the shop.
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