Simonida Pavicevic is the Co-Founder of HOFA Gallery. In April 2020 HOFA Gallery was the first to launch virtual exhibitions in response to global pandemic. It was extremely well received by the public and visitors to the shows keeps growing. They continue to run the virtual exhibitions alongside the physical ones, as it has opened out HOFA to a truly global audience.
Here we talk to Simonida about her inspirations and what drives her.
What you would love to share to encourage other women to start their own company?
I didn’t wake up one day and suddenly make the decision that I was going to create my own company. It was my dream and my passion as well as what I want to do so I did it. If you want to start up your own company, you have to be independent and determined. It’s not for everyone. Have a goal in mind that you want to reach and use your talent and ability to reach it. This has always been my motto. Only I can get me to where I want to be, I can only rely on myself and believe I can reach my goal.
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Top tips for entrepreneurial success?
1. Follow your dream
2. Have a plan
3. Have a goal
4. Carry on
You’re the only person that can get in the way and it can be very difficult, but never stop myself. There will always be problems and doubts, but you have to carry on.
You work with the leading lights of the art world – tell us about a favourite female artist that inspires you
I’ve been so inspired by Ilhwa Kim’s Seed Universe. Each seed presented on every piece of her works, is made by hand, out of Hanji, a traditional type of handmade Korean paper, from the inner bark of Paper Mulberry. The sheets are dyed with thousands of different colours and cuts and rolls the paper to craft them into ‘seeds’, not one of them is identical, which gives her work its unique characteristic. I feel strongly that her work would inspire anyone who views it. We hand-picked Seed Universe 77 by IIhwa to be included as part of A R T C E L S – which is an innovative digital platform for blue-chip art investments that we recently launched. You can view the entire portfolio online, it is worth having a look if you want to feel instantly inspired.
Who are the 5 women who inspire you the most?
Maya Angelou, Amelia Earhart Oprah, JK Rowling and Rosa Parks are just five of the famous women who inspire me the most. They’re all stand-alone examples of bravery, and they’re all pioneers in their fields. I am inspired by that.
If I am going to be honest, I don’t really have many women in my personal life that inspire me. That is not because there aren’t any out there, but it is because I am inspired by successful people that are in my industry. In particular strong men inspire me to be a strong woman. I have learnt a lot from men, in particular my partner Elio has challenged me and inspired me to go further and create higher goals for myself. I like to see it as a challenge to reach the same level of success as them as well as be better than me. I want to be the woman that beats the men in the business, I want to be ahead of the game so I can inspire more women to get involved. I am becoming a stronger woman by dealing with strong men.
I’m glad that I am a woman able to show something else and curate something else and sell in a different way.
What is your favourite saying/inspirational quote?
It’s simple but ‘Follow your dreams’.
