Contemporary Craft at Collect

My favourite contemporary craft finds from Collect, the International Art Fair For Contemporary Objects.

If you’ve never been to a contemporary craft Fair, you’d probably be surprised by what you might find. Today was the opening day of Collect, the International Art Fair For Contemporary Objects. Filling the entire Saatchi Gallery, the Crafts Council gathered 40 of the most prestigious galleries together to show more than 400 artists, from 13 countries around the world. Collect is the highest quality of craft. In fact, contemporary craft today is a highly evolved art form that responds to the desire to own something unique, crafted by hand and quite possibly bespoke. This wasn’t the first time I’d been to Collect, but I still didn’t know what I was going to see. Every year is remarkably different, I’ve only been a couple of times before, and they were very different indeed. If you still think craft is unfashionable, think again.

I started my journey at the top of the building at Collect Open. This year, designer Jay Osgerby and the Crafts Council team selected 14 makers from across the craft spectrum, including ceramics, metalsmithing, embroidery, jewellery design and weaving for the Collect Open exhibition.  Introduced in 2011, Collect Open has some of the biggest and boldest installations. While the main body of the fair presents a gallery-by-gallery showcase, Collect Open highlights individual makers providing them with a platform to present new works on a much larger scale.  Here I found a celebration of the handmade.

The first thing that caught my attention was ceramicist Mella Shaw‘s site-specific installation showing her environmental message about plastic pollution in the oceans. Called Harvest and made from smoke fired ceramics it highlighted how if plastic pollution isn’t tackled that by 2050 that there will be a greater weight of plastics in our oceans than fish. An absolute highlight of the Collect Open. Collect 2018, Contemporary Craft, interiors blog, hellopeagreen,Collect 2018, Contemporary Craft, interiors blog, hellopeagreen, Mella Shaw, Smoke fired ceramics, ceramicist

Jan Hendzel‘s installation of furniture and objects combine digital making methods with traditional woodworking techniques. Working predominately in Olive Ash wood his pieces called out to be touched, and as an Interior Designer I loved the lustrous natural oiled finish and could see them working in so many spaces.

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One of my favourite galleries is Sarah Myerscough who had a visually arresting space made up of almost entirely wood-based craft. One of my favourites being Eleanor Lakelin who I spent quite a while talking to as her pieces are so intrinsically dictated by nature. I also found myself coveting Marc Ricourts wood vases with ferrous oxide finishes. Other galleries that had pieces I particularly liked included Jaggedart, London Glassblowing Gallery (especially the pieces by Tim Rawlinson), Collection Ateliers D’art de France, Cynthia Corbett Gallery and Galleri Format.

New to Collect this year are the galleries Mint, 50 Golborne and Cavaliero Finn all showing some remarkable pieces. I was quite taken with a cabinet at Mint, perfect for your curiosities, in lacquered metal and a beautiful freestanding mirror made of amber coloured onyx. 50 Golborne wowed me with the South African based collective Ubuhule‘s beadwork and ceramic artworks by Astrid Dahl. Over at Cavaliero Finn I was mesmerised by the tall Petrified Forest of 21 ceramic pieces by Ashraf Hanna and the works of the Galvin Brothers.Collect 2018, Contemporary Craft, interiors blog, hellopeagreen, Eleanor Lakelin, woodworkCollect 2018, Contemporary Craft, interiors blog, hellopeagreen, Marc Ridcourt, woodworkCollect 2018, Contemporary Craft, interiors blog, hellopeagreen, Ashraf Shaw, Cavaliero Finn ceramicist Collect 2018, Contemporary Craft, interiors blog, hellopeagreen, Collect 2018, Contemporary Craft, interiors blog, hellopeagreen,Collect 2018, Contemporary Craft, interiors blog, hellopeagreen,Collect 2018, Contemporary Craft, interiors blog, hellopeagreen, Collect 2018, Contemporary Craft, interiors blog, hellopeagreen,Collect 2018, Contemporary Craft, interiors blog, hellopeagreen,Collect 2018, Contemporary Craft, interiors blog, hellopeagreen, Collect 2018, Contemporary Craft, interiors blog, hellopeagreen,Collect 2018, Contemporary Craft, interiors blog, hellopeagreen,Collect 2018, Contemporary Craft, interiors blog, hellopeagreen,Collect 2018, Contemporary Craft, interiors blog, hellopeagreen, Contemporary craft is inspiring by the sheer variety available today, although obviously, I seem to be particularly drawn to woodwork or really colourful pieces. I didn’t spend much time in the jewellery section as its “not my thing,” but there was quite a crowd pouring over the intricate displays.  Without a doubt, craft appears to be extremely collectable by the number of sold stickers I spotted.  If you don’t yet have plans this weekend, I highly recommend you visit Collect which is on until February 25th at the Saatchi Gallery London, for more information visit here.

To see my contemporary craft finds from Decorex visit here.
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15 Comments

  1. February 25, 2018 / 1:08 pm

    I know that most of us would think twice before investing in a piece of art, ceramic/ painting or otherwise but it is so worth it. So many pieces in your photos that I really thought “WOW” – MAKES IT WORTH SAVING FOR!

  2. February 25, 2018 / 1:30 pm

    Ooo, you’ve chosen such gorgeous textures. I just want to touch and hold every piece!

  3. February 25, 2018 / 1:38 pm

    I love following your adventures, Mary!
    Those fish are amazing. I feel like a lot of what you showed has a sort of oceanic or fluid quality. All so beautiful and unique.

  4. February 25, 2018 / 4:16 pm

    It sounds fascinating, and what beautiful objects you’ve found Mary. It’s always nice to incorporate unusual artworks like this into your home when you can

  5. February 25, 2018 / 10:21 pm

    Wow there are some absolutely stunning pieces here, I’d love to go and visit. Thanks for sharing x

  6. February 25, 2018 / 11:09 pm

    I’ve never been to this but it is something I’d definitely consider visiting. Like you, I do love a bit of woodwork. Some amazing pieces you’ve showcased here. Thank you.

  7. Donna Ford
    February 26, 2018 / 4:49 pm

    Wow! What a feast for the eyes!

    • mary
      Author
      March 5, 2018 / 11:10 am

      Really really was Donna. So much to look at it was dizzying

  8. February 26, 2018 / 6:23 pm

    So many inspiring objects here. I’d love to own some of these. A really beautiful collection and so well crafted.

    • mary
      Author
      March 5, 2018 / 11:09 am

      The craftsmanship is unbelievable. It’s eye-opening walking around a fair like this.

  9. February 26, 2018 / 8:34 pm

    Id love yo own some of those things -ok who am i kidding those are just wonderful x

    • mary
      Author
      March 5, 2018 / 11:09 am

      Having a 5 year old so many of the beautiful objects that sit on surfaces are just not even worth me considering for some years yet. I really want some of the glass pieces I saw and that beautiful wood vessel

  10. March 6, 2018 / 11:22 pm

    Wow. what a beautiful collection to behold. They are all gorgeous, the fish stuff is cute and that gigantic art, the yelow one is beautiful too. They are truly artistic

  11. March 16, 2018 / 6:07 am

    Amazing art, thanks for sharing this….

  12. July 14, 2018 / 11:30 am

    Wow! Really awesome post…

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