A third-generation art dealer and the granddaughter of Mirka and Georges Mora, Lily Mora has grown up breathing art. Here we chat about her business Sunday Salon which is now housed within Coco Flip's Northcote showroom.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what led to you starting Sunday Salon.

I am a third-generation art dealer so it’s perhaps not surprising I’ve ended up on this path. In 2019 I moved back to Melbourne after 5 years living in London, and I was keen to start my own business. I felt there was a gap in the market for an art platform that catered to those less familiar with the art world, who loved and wanted to buy great art, but weren’t necessarily able to spend enormous amounts of money. I also felt that there were so many exciting emerging artists working locally and I was passionate about helping to connect them with budding art collectors. I launched the business in July 2020 as a bit of a lockdown project, but happily it has now become my full time job.

Cultural Disinheritance, 2021, Mia Boe

Bert's Bar, 2022, Wes Waddell

What are your thoughts on the art world in Australia and how does Sunday Salon fit into that?

Australia has many wonderful galleries that cater to more seasoned art collectors, but they can sometimes be intimidating to a lot of people. Sunday Salon aims to make buying art more accessible. We are also interested in supporting emerging artists in the early stages of their careers, often before they then go on to be represented by bigger galleries. Supporting an artist's career trajectory and seeing their practice evolve is a part of the job I really enjoy.

Two Candles, 2022, Lucy Anderson

What excites you most about the artists you’ve chosen to represent?

One of the most exciting elements is that they are all artists on the rise. As I touched on before, I love being able to play a role in helping to build an artist’s profile.

Unfolding Field, 2022, Pia Murphy

Do you have any advice for people buying art on a budget?

One of the reasons I created Sunday Salon was to help people buy artworks on a budget, and we try to always have a good selection of works available for less than $1,000. That said, this is still a lot of money for most people. Limited edition prints can be a great to way to inject some art into your home for a smaller budget.

Muscle Beach, 2022, Wes Waddell

Can you tell us a bit about your relationship with your grandparents Mirka and Georges Mora and how they’ve influenced you?

I was very lucky to grow up with Mirka living next door so she was (and remains) a big influence on me. She was so much fun to be around as a kid because she didn’t behave like other adults — she was extremely naughty and wicked. She was always flashing her bum, face-planting birthday cakes and shrieking with laughter. We absolutely loved it.

Georges passed away when I was 3 so sadly I don’t have many memories with him. However, I have been very moved in recent years learning more about his efforts in the French Resistance. Alongside the famous mime artist Marcel Marceau, he was able to smuggle dozens of Jewish children to safety. It wasn’t something that he was very vocal about when he was alive, but he was a true war hero. My son’s middle name is Georges after him.

Lug Vase, 2020, Matthew Dettmer

If you could take a three-month holiday anywhere in the world, where would you choose to go and what would you do?

Love this question. Probably somewhere in Italy. I would be in a huge villa where friends and family could come and go, and I would spend my time reading books, cooking local recipes, learning Italian and swimming in the sea.