Despite assembling a remarkable and discerning body of work, Johnson consistently rejected the label of “collector”. As he once explained: “I think the word can have somewhat negative connotations. Some people ‘collect a particular artist in depth’—this has no particular appeal to me."

A graduate of the London Business School, where he earned a Masters in Business Administration, Johnson was a passionate and intuitive entrepreneur. He co-founded Nexo SA, a manufacturer of large-scale sound systems later acquired by Yamaha in 2008, and went on to co-found the Caplin Group, which developed visual feedback systems.

“I am interested in all the arts – but one can’t hang music, theatre and literature on the walls!” - Micky Johnson

Yet throughout his career, Johnson’s enduring passion for music and the arts remained constant. A skilled clarinettist with a deep interest in theatre, he was also a patron of Tate and a friend of the Royal Academy. In 2016, he founded No. 20, a gallery space in Islington that he described as “an all-singing, all-dancing arts venue.” This expansive space hosted a dynamic programme of art exhibitions, concerts, and theatre performances, offering a fascinating and eclectic mix of work from both established names and rising contemporary artists.

“Sculpture is a way of thinking and material is a means of expression.” - Tony Cragg

Learn more about Tony Cragg’s ‘Untitled’ bronze.

The collection itself is a curated juxtaposition, works placed in dialogue with one another. Johnson’s eye for the unusual drew him from the ceramic studios of Madoura and Picasso’s elegant forms, to Sean Scully’s innovative exploration of the boundaries between painting and sculpture, conceptualism and abstraction. Tony Cragg flits seamlessly between abstraction and figuration as does Michele Mathison in his impressive burnt wood sculpture constructed of model AK47s with its polysemic title Revolution. The collection is witty and fun, inquisitive and probing, placing equal significance on the new and the established, invoking the feeling that for Micky the journey was always more exciting than the destination.

Micky Johnson Collection Highlights

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Auction Details

Wednesday 29 October 2025, 10.30am GMT
Dreweatts, Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE, UK
Bidding is available in person at our salerooms, online, by telephone or you can leave commission (absentee) bids.
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Viewing in London (Highlights):
Dreweatts, 16-17 Pall Mall, St James’s, London SW1Y 5LU
Monday 13 - Wednesday 15 October

Viewing in Newbury (Full sale):
Dreweatts, Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE, UK
Friday 24 – Tuesday 28 October (no Saturday viewing)

Further information:
General enquiries: + 44 (0) 1635 553 553 | pictures@dreweatts.com
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