Living in Suffolk Magazine Feature
It takes a steady hand combined with precision tools and an expert eye in both fine and modern art to create the bespoke arrangements Georgina Strutt is best known for.
From hanging artists’ works for exhibitions, to working in client’s homes alongside top designers such as lighting supremo, Zara Vaux, nothing seems to phase her. Georgina, who lives near Lavenham, is just as comfortable working in a small London flat as she is working in the hall of an East Anglian stately home. No one job is quite the same but her passion remains unwatered. “I’ve literally just come back from doing an enormous hang at Chelsea Old Town Hall,“ she smiles, “It was the 77th annual summer exhibition of the Chelsea Art Society, and we put up 500 pictures, it was crazy but very rewarding!”
She says one of the most memorable jobs she’s ever had was hanging a very delicate collection of Victorian glass walking sticks (she is very discreet and mindful never to reveal her VIP clients), “It was really niche,” she recalls, “These glass walking sticks were all very, very delicate with twisted and blown glass - there were at least 20 of them and the client wanted them creatively hanging onto her dining room wall using see-through wire and fixings. It was incredibly nerve wracking, but it looked stunning, especially when the candlelight shone through it!”
Georgina says this part of the world can be hugely challenging, “compared to a penthouse in London. You’ve got all the timber-framed homes here, old Suffolk walls can often be made of wattle and daub, so you end up using a lot of chains but I find it really exciting. Your toolkit has to be quite wide, ranging for every scenario.”
Raised in Norfolk in a creative household - her sister is acclaimed wildlife and travel artist, Annabel Pope, and their mother a painter - she seemed destined to work in the art world.
She created her career in Christies and Sothebys working in Fine Art - it was here she gained her passion for both Old Masters and British art. Later, she studied Millinery at the London College of Fashion before working for haute couture milliner, Philip Treacy, where client’s included the Queen and Queen Mother. Georgina developed an even greater understanding of sculptural design, colour and texture, all contributing to the curation of her installation today.
Georgina is - until now - one of Suffolk’s best kept secrets in the world of picture hanging.