After establishing galleries in Singapore, Paris and Provence, Kevin Troyano Cuturi opens a London outpost this September with a new exhibition by German artist Jochen Mühlenbrink exploring travel, memory and perception.
In just seven years, Spanish gallerist Kevin Troyano Cuturi has transformed Cuturi Gallery from a Singapore start-up into one of the art world’s more intriguing transnational success stories. After establishing spaces in Singapore, Paris and Provence, he is now adding London to the map with the opening next week of a permanent gallery at 2A–4 Ryder Street, in the historic district of St. James’s. The British capital marks the city in which he studied physics at Imperial College London, launched his career in technology and spent a decade before relocating to Singapore. More than another international outpost, the London space completes a triangle linking Europe and Asia through a program that privileges cultural dialog over geography, reflecting Cuturi’s conviction that galleries should connect ideas and communities as much as they showcase art.
The inaugural exhibition, “SIN – LON: Window Seat”, running from from September 18 to October 3, 2026, encapsulates that philosophy. Dedicated to German painter Jochen Mühlenbrink, the solo show presents a new body of work inspired by the visual and emotional experience of traveling between Singapore and London. Best known for his virtuosic, trompe-l’oeil “Window Paintings”, Mühlenbrink blurs the boundaries between illusion and reality through meticulously rendered fogged glass, condensation and reflected light, inviting viewers to question what they truly see. His new paintings, some developed during his most recent residency in Singapore—his third in the city-state—transform the gallery into a contemplative departure lounge, where memories, landscapes, skylines and shifting skies merge into a meditation on presence and perception. It is a fitting debut for a gallery whose own journey has unfolded across continents, and whose ambitions continue to redraw the conventional map of the contemporary art world. I sit down with Cuturi to find out more about his story.
Tell me about where you were born, your background.
I was born in France to a Spanish mother and an Italian father, and spent most of my childhood in Marbella, in the south of Spain. My father Marco had a deep love for culture, and from a very early age—around 10 years old—he took me on one-on-one trips every summer to the great cultural capitals of Europe and the United States: Paris, Madrid, London, Rome, Florence, Venice, Vienna, New York. My very first museum experience was the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. He had a wonderful game he would play with me, one I very much look forward to recreating with my own children one day. After each museum visit, he would give me €10 to spend in the museum shop—back when postcards cost €1 each—and I had to choose my 10 favorite works, then write a short analysis on the back of each one. In a sense, I was building a little collection from every visit. That gradually evolved into exhibition posters, which I would get framed for my bedroom. So when I eventually had some disposable income, buying an original work of art felt natural.
How did you go from studying physics at Imperial College London to a career in tech? What lessons did you learn from your time at Amazon that you’ve carried over into your art world career?
I have always been drawn to science. I was fascinated by the universe and the origins of life, which is ultimately why I chose to study physics. I thoroughly enjoyed my four-year master’s degree, but decided not to pursue a PhD and joined an investment bank instead. It quickly became clear that path wasn’t for me, so I returned to Imperial College to help launch a startup accelerator for student-led enterprises. That experience opened the door to the world of technology, and I soon became involved with a news aggregator startup. From there, I was hired by Amazon in the UK, which later relocated me to Singapore. I carried over a strong focus on customer experience.
What made you move from London to Singapore?
The move came together quite naturally for both of us. My wife—who was a medical student at Imperial at the time—and I were looking for a fresh start and a new experience abroad. She had lived in Singapore when she was younger and had always spoken fondly of the city, and I had enjoyed my own visits as a tourist. She was able to continue her medical training there—she is now a cardiologist at NUH—and it happened that Amazon was launching Prime Now in Singapore at exactly the right moment. Everything aligned. As for what we love about Singapore: the warmth of the people, the efficiency of the city, the sense of safety and the genuine spirit of entrepreneurship.
Switching professions so radically often comes with risk. What were the biggest uncertainties you faced when leaving Amazon to found Mazel Galerie in Singapore in 2017 in collaboration with Mazel Galerie in Brussels, later rebranded to Cuturi Gallery in 2019?
When I opened the gallery, I remained at Amazon for a full year and only made the complete transition in June 2018. That year was an invaluable, if humbling, education. I learnt some key lessons the hard way that helped me fundamentally reassess the gallery’s direction. To borrow the language of the startup world: I had to pivot. Those learnings were ultimately what led me to rebrand and make a number of strategic changes in 2019.
Singapore is not an obvious starting point for a Spanish gallerist. Why did you opt for Singapore as your base, and how did the city shape the outlook on art, artists, and audiences?
My wife and I were fully committed to building our life in Singapore, so it was always the natural home for the gallery. From there, I set about learning to understand the local art landscape. I often say that a gallery is not simply a retail space selling luxury assets. We do sustain ourselves through commercial activity, but the heart of what we do is something different: it is about fostering an appreciation for culture. That mission has been with us since the very beginning.
The opening of your London space marks a personal return to a city in which you lived before moving to Singapore.
London has always felt like a second home to me. I came here for university, began my career here and spent 10 years in the city before moving to Singapore. London’s artistic energy has always been a source of inspiration, so returning to open a permanent space for Cuturi Gallery feels like a homecoming and an opportunity to build a bridge between two places that have played such important roles in my life.
