About Foinse
Foinse grew from a simple belief: art deserves to be part of the thinking behind a space, not something added when everything else is finished.
My background is in branding and the built environment. Over many years, I have worked with businesses to understand how identity, culture and purpose can be expressed through the spaces they create.
Foinse brings that experience into contemporary art. We work with businesses and institutions to find and curate original artwork that responds to the organisation, the architecture and the people who experience it. Our role is independent. We work directly with artists and galleries in Ireland and internationally, giving us the freedom to source work according to the needs of each project.
Jonathan Smartt Founder
Foinse Is An Independent Advisory Practice
Independence is structural, not a claim.
We do not represent artists exclusively, nor are we a gallery. Where an artist is represented, we work in partnership with their gallery—never around it.
Our relationship with a client doesn’t necessarily end when an artwork is placed. We continue to advise as their spaces, needs and collections develop over time.
The Foinse Philosophy
Every recommendation we make is tested against the same six principles. They ensure our judgement is based on more than taste alone.
How we workContext
Every recommendation begins with an understanding of the space, the people who use it and the purpose it serves. Art should belong, not simply occupy a wall.
Quality
We seek work of lasting artistic merit—pieces capable of rewarding repeated viewing long after first impressions fade.
Conversation
The strongest artworks invite curiosity and discussion. They give people something to notice, return to and talk about.
Longevity
We favour work that will continue to feel relevant as organisations, interiors and people evolve over time.
Authenticity
Original work carries the presence of its maker. That matters to us, and we believe it matters to the people who live and work alongside it.
Emotional Impact
Every artwork influences how a place feels. We assess emotional response alongside colour, scale and composition.
Why?
Four questions come up in almost every first conversation. These are our answers.
Request an introductionWhy contemporary art?
Because contemporary art reflects the world we live in today. It can challenge, intrigue and give people something new to encounter.
Why businesses?
Workplaces shape culture. Art can become part of how an organisation expresses who it is, while changing how people experience the space around them.
Why independent advice?
Because we have nothing we need to sell. We can look for the work that best answers the brief, wherever that takes us.
Why original work?
Because original work carries something of the person who made it. It has a physical presence and individuality that a reproduction cannot replicate.
