Want to open a successful art gallery? Ignore your accountant.
Perhaps not the most sensible piece of advice to give budding entrepreneurs, but it seemed to work for Kevin Zuchowski-Morrison.
Since opening on St George's Walk last year, Mr Zuchowski-Morrison's Rise Gallery has impressed critics and Croydon residents alike with retrospectives of Damian Hirst and Banksy, as well as showcases of emerging artists.
And at the Croydon Business Excellence Awards ceremony at Fairfield Halls last week, the gallery was named as the best new business in the borough.
Mr Zuchowski-Morrison said: "It’s quite overwhelming. It’s not something I really thought about or expected but it’s a real honour.
"We started off with a very low profile, no social media and high-end artists that had perhaps never been seen before from this area.
"From that we’ve grown at an incredible rate, which is really surprising. My accountant actually told me not to do it, but I ignored him [because] I think you have to do what you believe in."
Councillor Toni Letts, Croydon’s cabinet member for the economy and jobs, said of Mr Zuchowski-Morrison: "He has put Croydon on the arts map and turned St George’s Walk into a vibrant creative hub that is now known as Croydon’s Arts Quarter."
The gallery owners' next project will involve having a large mural painted along the side of Jubilee Bridge, Reeves Corner, in an attempt to rejuvenate the area following the 2011 riots.
Another winner at last week's award ceremony was Malcolm John, owner of Brasserie Vacherin, who scooped the gong for best food and hospitality business.
He said: "Croydon is where my passion is as someone who lives in Croydon. This is a great reward and I want to thank Croydon – we will always champion Croydon.
"There is only one winner and that winner is Croydon."
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