We are delighted to share a special Lander Talks interview with Cynthia Valianti Corbett, founder of Cynthia Corbett Gallery and Young Masters, in conversation with Anastasia Lander.
Part of Anastasia’s Lander Talks series exploring women building businesses in the cultural economy, the interview traces Cynthia’s journey from international economics and diplomacy to founding Cynthia Corbett Gallery in 2004 and Young Masters in 2009. It also explores the ideas that have shaped her work: championing artists, creating opportunities, building relationships and finding new ways to connect contemporary art with wider audiences.
Anastasia and Cynthia share a history of their own. They first met in 2019, when Anastasia joined Young Masters while undertaking a work placement elective at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. What began as seven and a half weeks became almost three years working together, making this a particularly personal conversation about the realities of building a life and career in the arts.
Asked to explain what she does as if speaking to a five-year-old, Cynthia answers:
“I help artists share their ideas with the world. Sometimes I organise exhibitions, sometimes I help people discover artists they might love. I spend a lot of my time connecting creative people and creating opportunities for them to grow.”
On Young Masters and Her Court
At the time of the interview, Cynthia was preparing Her Court, the first museum collaboration for Young Masters, created with Wimbledon Museum and exploring Wimbledon’s connection to the suffragette movement through contemporary art:
“I'm currently working on Her Court, the first museum collaboration for Young Masters, created with Wimbledon Museum and exploring Wimbledon’s connection to the suffragette movement through contemporary art. Alongside that, I continue developing Young Masters internationally and working through Cynthia Corbett Gallery with both established and emerging artists. I'm always looking for ways to connect art with wider audiences, collectors and cultural conversations.”
From diplomacy to the art world
Cynthia’s route into the arts was far from conventional. Before becoming a gallerist, she worked in international economics and diplomacy, later returning to study art history before establishing the gallery and Young Masters.
“I didn't begin in the art world at all. My first career was in international economics and diplomacy, but after starting a family I reached a point where I knew I wanted to build something closer to my lifelong passion for art and history. Going back to study art history felt like a leap into the unknown, but it led me to founding the Cynthia Corbett Gallery in 2004 and later Young Masters in 2009. Looking back, it wasn't really a reinvention, it was all the different parts of my life finally coming together.”
On persistence
Asked whether there had been moments when she nearly stopped, Cynthia speaks candidly about the financial pressures, uncertainty and sheer amount of work involved in building a career in the arts:
“Like many founders, there have been moments when financial pressures, uncertainty and the sheer amount of work felt overwhelming. The arts are rarely an easy path and as an American in London I sometimes felt like an outsider. What kept me going was seeing artists develop their careers, gain confidence and achieve opportunities they might not otherwise have had. AND I really love what I do - it is a passion as well as a profession.”
Relationships are the real infrastructure
One of the strongest ideas to emerge from the conversation is Cynthia’s belief in the importance of relationships, trust and persistence:
“I wish it were common knowledge that relationships are the real infrastructure of any career. People often focus on credentials, funding or visibility, but trust, kindness and reputation tend to open the most important doors. I also think we underestimate how much persistence matters; most things take far longer than we expect, but they are often worth the wait.”
Building towards something new
Looking ahead, Cynthia describes an ambition that extends beyond individual exhibitions: creating opportunities for contemporary artists to enter into meaningful dialogue with museums, archives and historic collections.
“I’m building towards a world where contemporary artists are invited into museums, archives and historic spaces not as decoration, but as part of the conversation.”
She continues:
“Her Court is our first museum collaboration, with Wimbledon Museum and it feels deeply personal because the suffragette story is about courage, visibility and women refusing to disappear. My middle name is Valianti, so perhaps the valiant spirit was always there. Being half Italian probably helped too.”
And ultimately, that ambition is about connecting people, histories and generations through art:
“What I really hope is that projects like this bring people together across generations. If you are curious about the women who fought to change history, and how contemporary artists can help us see their legacy in new ways, I would love to welcome you to Her Court.”
Discover Her Court: The Role Wimbledon Played in the Suffragette Movement →
https://www.young-masters.co.uk/her-court-2026
A Young Masters exhibition project developed in collaboration with Wimbledon Museum, bringing contemporary art into dialogue with the museum’s archives and Wimbledon’s remarkable suffrage history.
Our warmest thanks to Anastasia Lander for this generous and personal interview, and for her continued friendship and support of Cynthia Corbett Gallery and Young Masters.
Discover Anastasia Lander →
https://anastasialander.com/
Visit Lander Lander →
https://landerlander.com/landertalks#cynthia-valianti-corbett