Tess Charnley

Tess Charnley is an artist manager, consultant, writer, and curator working with artists, galleries, institutions, and collectors.

After graduating from Goldsmiths, University of London with an MA in Contemporary Art Theory, Tess began her career at not-for-profit galleries Matt's Gallery and Block 336, before moving into the commercial sector at Danielle Arnaud, Alison Jacques. and Stephen Friedman Gallery, where she was Associate Director and liaison for artists including Denzil Forrester, Yooyun Yang and Ilona Keserü. She now works independently as a consultant to artists, galleries, and collectors., alongside her writing and curating practice.

Tess advises artists across all aspects of their careers — from industry insight and career mapping to sales and institutional strategy, legacy planning, and creative mentorship. Tess also works as a consultant for commercial galleries and with private collectors, developing and building collections.

As a curator, her projects include group exhibitions at Danielle Arnaud and Blyth Gallery, and a solo exhibition by Donal Sturt at Sarabande Foundation. Her writing has appeared in Elephant Magazine, Burlington Contemporary, Art Monthly, this is tomorrow, Ocula, the peer-reviewed journal Anthropocenes — Human, Inhuman, Posthuman, and Phaidon's Prime: Art's Next Generation.