First resale, first royalties: Lewis Brander on the Artist’s Resale Right and the life of a painting
As part of DACS’ celebration of the 20th anniversary of Artist’s Resale Right (ARR), we’re speaking with artists about works that have generated royalties - and what it means for an artwork to continue its life beyond the studio.
Lewis Brander received his first ARR royalty in 2025 when George Karelias, a painting made during his time in Athens, unexpectedly resurfaced on the secondary market. Here, he reflects on the painting’s origins, its journey, and how ARR has shaped his understanding of his art practice, career, and time.
Could you start by describing the work and explain a bit about what was going on in your life at the time?
I started this painting in 2019, when I was living in Athens. It’s called George Karelias - after one of Greece’s oldest cigarette brands. People may not realise but, growing and producing tobacco is still a big part of the Greek economy and smoking is such a big part of the culture. When I was there, the smoking ban had only just come in, so you’d walk into a tax office and someone would be smoking.
This painting came from a sketch I did of a friend in a bar - he was holding a cigarette, and his face was behind the smoke. Though the hand and smoke are still there, and you just about make out the silhouette of a face, it became much more abstract. I kept working on it and adding glazes, so it became increasingly diffused. I’m not doing figurative painting anymore, in fact this was probably one of my last ones, but this painting has an appearance that is not a million miles from my current work.
How does this painting connect to the questions or concerns you were working through at the time?
It's interesting because I didn't think about it at the time, but this piece is a bit of a transition work between my figurative and landscape paintings. I graduated from Goldsmiths in 2018, where I’d been making purely figurative paintings stained on linen, very much inspired by Japanese Zen paintings. Then I entered a transition period of my life as I moved to Athens and I was starting to make landscape paintings which were not a very ‘Goldsmiths’ subject matter.
How does this painting relate to the themes you're exploring now?
There are similarities between my current work and George Karelias in terms of the painting’s watery, atmospheric quality. Even though this work started with a figure, it’s not much of a figurative painting. It's more about evoking a sense of atmosphere, a certain place, or sense of time. And that’s still what I’m interested in. The difference is, I’m not concerned with the figure anymore; my work now is much more about a relationship with paint itself.
Did receiving ARR royalties affect your sense of security or confidence as an artist?
Yes! It’s been one of the biggest things psychologically, and I’m not just saying that because I’m talking to DACS. It’s been a really turbulent time in the art world, with a lot of structural change. Knowing that ARR exists gives me reassurance that there’s a framework in place which recognises artists’ long-term stake in their work.
When I made this painting, I had maybe sold five paintings in my life. I didn’t have an established art career, and I was living in Greece. I sold that painting for under £1000, whereas my work now starts at around £5000. I’m in a completely different situation - registering for VAT because my income has hit a certain threshold and running a more established practice. It’s good to know the Right is there for works that originally sold for a modest amount, and that there is support available if questions arise. Without it, the protection and advice are only there for the artists who are wealthy, which are often not the ones who really need it. ARR helps level that field.
How did you discover the resale and the fact that you were due ARR?
The gallery that represents me were hosting drinks after an opening, and I was chatting to a young collector about the shows they’d seen recently. They then showed me a photo of another painting, not George Karelias, but another figurative painting I'd made from my time in Athens - and asked if I knew the artist. I was like: “wait - that’s me. These are my paintings.” It was honestly such a surreal moment and if I hadn’t spoken to this specific person, I wouldn’t have known the work was being sold.
After that, I immediately called the artist Charles Avery, who I used to be the studio manager for, and he suggested that I speak to DACS. DACS confirmed that ARR was due, so I politely approached the gallery where the works were being sold and asked whether ARR royalties had been factored into the sale. When they said no, DACS reassured me and handled everything else, which was great because it was the first time I’d encountered something like this. I think it was simply an oversight, and once it was clarified everything was handled appropriately.
A lot of your work plays with the idea of ‘time’. Does receiving royalties from an earlier work change how you think about time, especially in relation to George Karelias?
Yeah, it does. I know some artists feel that being reunited with an old painting is like seeing an old friend, but I don’t think that’s the case for me. It was interesting, though, to see the painting. When I originally sold it, I was really happy to get the money. It was part of a particular phase of my life, living overseas for the first time, so to see it and other paintings in Cork Street was strange, though not necessarily from an artistic point of view.
Of course, I clearly remember painting that work and the conversations I had with people in the studio I was using at the time in Athens. I was thinking of all those things when I saw the painting again, and when I was asked to do this interview. I’m also aware that once a work enters the secondary market it begins to circulate in a different way, which shifts its context slightly.
How does ARR support you, financially or otherwise - as an artist?
Well, I might only get paid twice or three times a year, so it’s helpful for cash flow, even if it’s a relatively small amount. It’s good to know that income is there.
Beyond the financial aspect, ARR and DACS provide a sense of protection and continuity. There aren’t many formal rights structures for artists, and independent legal advice can be costly. The Right offers reassurance.
The other thing is that I know more about where my artwork ends up. Working for Charles Avery made me realise how important it is to keep detailed records so you can borrow works back for exhibitions. Most artists encounter that situation at some point. ARR contributes to that record - it creates part of the paper trail.
Does the ongoing life of a work like ‘George Karelias' influence your practice or the way you think while making new work?
For me, the biggest adjustment is realising I can live off my art and sustain a professional practice. My mindset has shifted - this isn’t just something I feel compelled to do; it’s also my livelihood.
I’m very happy for the works to circulate, and ARR reinforces that sense of ongoing connection to them. Obviously, there are limits to how the Right operates and it is capped, which is a shame. I have friends who are musicians, and they struggle despite having significant exposure. I feel fortunate that painting allows for both primary sales and, occasionally, benefit from resales. DACS has provided reassurance in that sense.
About the artist
Lewis Brander was born in London in 1995. He studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths College, graduating in 2018 before moving to Athens, Greece. In 2020 he returned to London where he now lives and works. Brander’s paintings are formed through sustained attention to light and place, developing slowly through layering and revision. Observation is translated into fields of colour that hover between representation and abstraction. Light operates as a condition rather than a motif, emerging through weather, diurnal rhythms, and the shifting illumination of the studio. Writing in ArtReview, Tom Morton observes: "What he paints is not only space, but also time."
Recent solo exhibitions include, ‘East and West’, Vardaxoglou, London, UK (2025); ‘Lewis Brander’, Vardaxoglou Gallery, London, UK (2024); ‘Lewis Brander’, Vardaxoglou Gallery, London, UK (2022). Lewis Brander’s recent and forthcoming group exhibitions include, ‘British Painting Now’, cur. Tom Morton, Green Family Art Foundation, Dallas, TX (2025); ‘Last Night I Dreamt of Manderley’, cur. Daniel Malarkey, Alison Jacques Gallery, London, UK (2025); ‘Painters from London’, Mattia de Luca Gallery, Rome, Italy (2025); ‘TWOxTWO for Aids & Art’, Rachofsky House, Dallas, TX (2024); ‘Unreal City: Abstract Painting in London’, Saatchi Gallery, London (2024); Drawing Biennial, Drawing Room, London, UK (2024); Nottingham Contemporary Gala, Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham, UK (2023).
