Luke Davis, the man behind the popular lifestyle restaurant, Rockwater, has turned his attention to the contemporary art market.
He has founded Helm Gallery, Brighton’s largest contemporary art space, with Eden Maseyk.
Mr Davis’s innovative approach to the gallery business model has drawn significant attention in the art world.
Despite being open for just one year, Helm Gallery has gained global recognition for its sell-out exhibitions and staunch support for emerging artists.
This has earned it praise from national media outlets, including The Guardian and BBC News.
With the art market struggling in recent months, the gallery owners realized that traditional art sales might not be sufficient to maintain interest.
In response, they transformed the ground floor of Helm Gallery in November 2024.
The space now combines an exhibition area with a hospitality-focused offering, featuring a California-designed interior scheme, comfortable lounge seating, and a coffee and cocktail bar.
Mr Maseyk said: “Our aim has always been to remove the barriers to experiencing art and our ground floor has now been transformed to redefine the traditional gallery space.
“With new interiors, vibrant art, lush plants, cocktails, and luxurious lounge areas, we aim to create an immersive environment reinventing how visitors experience art.
“As a result, Helm Gallery has seen a significant increase in both footfall and revenue.”
Mr Davis’s strategic insight and ability to adapt to changing circumstances have been key to the gallery’s success.
He said: “In constantly changing markets, businesses need to continually react to cultural and economic shifts.
“With this new business model, art is combined with hospitality to offer a sense of relaxation and accessibility; giving the visitor an opportunity to view art as if from the comfort of home.”
This idea of adapting to changing circumstances is not new to Mr Davis.
He originally opened Rockwater during the pandemic, incorporating open-air seating and food huts into the restaurant model.
These elements remain a crucial part of the business today.
Mr Davis adds: “Helm was always about creating a new kind of welcoming and dynamic space that defies the traditional idea of a gallery model.
“Brighton is such a vibrant place with so much talent and culture; we love being part of the community and we have great pride in what we’ve created.”
Mr Davis’s route to success is unconventional.
After dropping out of college without A-levels, he worked at Burger King, in telesales, as a labourer, and even ran club nights.
At 25, while in a sales job at American Express, he decided – with no qualifications or university degree – to go into stockbroking.
After training for online exams for ten weeks, he passed the first time.
He clearly had a talent and got a job as a stockbroker at King & Shaxson; as soon as he was earning £150,000 a year, he decided to start investing for himself.
One of his biggest successes came in 2007 when he bet that housebuilder Persimmon’s share price would fall: a £20,000 investment turned into £100,000 just one week later.
In addition to his venture capital success, Mr Davis has built and exited businesses across sectors including PR, tech, financial services, and hospitality.
His global network of connections has been pivotal in securing key brand partnerships, and leveraging relationships to open doors and create opportunities.
Mr Davis and Mr Maseyk’s vision for Helm Gallery is to provide an unprecedented arts and exhibition space in the heart of Brighton’s cultural quarter.
Their shared ambition and innovative approach have set a new standard for the future of art galleries.
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