by Giuliana Brida
January 10, 2025
published in Cultured Mag
Chad Leat reflects on decades of art collecting, the mentors who shaped him, and the advice he’d give to budding enthusiasts.
Left: On wall: Karl Haendel, Abstract Overlapping Targets, 2007. Red sculpture: Keith Haring, Curling Dog, 1987. Table at left by Arman. All photography by Sean Davidson.
Right: Chad Leat at home with Roni Horn’s Key and cue no. 1392 (Hope Is A Strange Invention), 1994; John Giorno’s I WANT TO CUM IN YOUR HEART, 2015; and Hanne Darboven’s Dostojewski, Monat Januar, 1990.
From the article:
Chad Leat collects art the way he lives his life—with bold moves, sharp instincts, and a deep appreciation for meaningful connection. While his name may echo in finance circles, where he’s built a storied career spanning 30 years on Wall Street with Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and other companies, it’s the walls of his homes that truly reveal his inner passions.
Guided by art-world legends like Jock Truman and Holly Solomon in the ’80s and ’90s, Leat has built a wide-ranging trove, from a John Giorno piece that prompts double takes from visitors to works by Wolfgang Tillmans and Jean-Michel Othoniel. In this conversation, Leat opens up about the piece in his home that never fails to provoke, why collecting isn’t just a Manhattan-based pursuit, and how a chance negotiation with American sculptor Tony Feher turned into a masterclass in art—and cocktails.
Where does the story of your personal collection begin?
Luckily, when I moved to New York in the ’80s, I befriended Jock Truman, one of the original gallerists for Betty Parsons. As you might guess, that was a lucky friendship. In the ’90s, I became friends with… Read more.