Collect 2024: our pick of the highlights not to miss at this year's craft fair
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From March 1 - 3, Collect craft fair is returning to the grand Neoclassical building, Somerset House, in London, to showcase the very best in contemporary craft. Presented by Crafts Council, this year Collect is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and visitors can expect even more of what the fair has become known for: a uniquely diverse offering of collectible craft, from 40 galleries exhibiting the work of 400 craftspeople. This is an inspiring exhibition of pieces that blur the lines between art and design. We’ve rounded up the 10 galleries, makers and showcases not to miss this year.
General admission tickets cost £27 and can be purchased through collectfair.org.uk
1/10Craft Scotland
Craft Scotland's showcase of works by contemporary, Scottish makers is always something to look forward to, and often sees the pieces acquired by museums including the V&A Museum, and the Fitzwilliam Museum, in Cambridge. This year it will include new works from 12 makers, including Fife-based Susie Redman’s woven vessels made using willow, Japanese paper and linen, and large, sculptural wooden pieces from Richard Goldsworthy. Working primarily with beech and pewter, Richard carves, sands and burns the wood to both celebrate and contrast its natural grain. Pictured here is ‘Stream’, made by Richard using beech and pewter. Craftscotland.org | richardgoldsworthy.org
- 2/10
Common Sense Gallery
Founded in 2018, Common Sense Gallery opened its first IRL space in Vienna in 2022. Alongside a calendar of exhibitions which aim to provide a platform for emerging artists, Common Sense takes part in pop-ups and fairs across the globe. For its first showcase at Collect, it will be exhibiting the works of Spencer Chalk-Levy who explores the themes of mortality and society through tapestry and sculpture, alongside ceramics by Lebanese artist Tamara Barrage. Pictured here is ‘Untitled’ by Spencer Chalk-Levy. Commonsensegallery.art | spencerchalklevy.com
ye studio3/10Icheon Ceramic by Han Collection
South Korean glass artist Park Seon-min joins Collect with the London gallery Han Collection. Park uses her work to transform disused glass bottles into new, functional and decorative objects. These range from tea cups and vases to lights and sculptures. From her studio in the suburbs of the South Korean city of Incheon, Park melts down empty glass bottles which she collects from pubs, cafes and bars, and reworks them into beautiful objects which can be used in everyday life. Many of the pieces are sanded down to create a frosted effect, or etched with intricate motifs. Hancollection.co.uk | parkseonmin.com
Eugene Langan4/10Design & Crafts Council Ireland
Joining the fair with over 23 craftspeople and designers, this national agency works to support a host of Ireland-based makers both creatively and commercially. Its showcase at Collect not only exhibits exceptional talent, but demonstrates how humble materials can be elevated through craft and sit in a contemporary setting. Alison Kay, whose ‘Tilted Green Pattern Form’ is pictured here, uses raku clay to create her smooth-lined pieces, which are smoke fired to achieve an aged, metallic finish. Dcci.ie | alisonkay.ie
- 5/10
50 Golborne
Named for the address of its first premises, 50 Golborne is a contemporary gallery which aims to highlight traditional African art and design, and showcase the rich contribution of the African diaspora to the craft and design industries. This year’s exhibition at Collect will include pieces by Jean-Servais Somian, whose colourful wooden creations blur the lines between sculpture and furniture. They are all carved from the trunks of coconut trees which have fallen from the coastland of Ivory Coast. Pictured here is his ‘Grande Demoiselle a Facettes, a 12 tiroirs bleux, Jaune, Roug’. 50golborneart.com | somiandesign.com
6/10Alveston Fine Arts
The recent works of ceramicist Simon Dredge explore the use of ‘Polari’ - a secret language used by gay communities in the 1950s. His plates are adorned with geometric patterns topped with motifs such as ‘Bona Polari’ and ‘I think you are Bona’. Exhibiting with London-based gallery Alveston Fine Arts, Simon is joined by five other makers, including Julia Hall, who uses paint and textile work to spread messages such as ‘I Will Not Give Up on the Kindness of People’. Alveston.london
7/10Collect Open
Every year, Collect invites a select group of independent artists, makers and collectives to exhibit their work as part of the ‘Collect Open’ showcase. For this year’s iteration, the 14 craftspeople involve hail from Canada, Portugal, and all corners of the UK. Northern Ireland-based glassblower Andrea Spencer, whose ‘Human Nature’ is pictured here, uses locally sourced glass to depict natural forms such as foliage and fauna, and the ‘inescapable connection between humans and the natural world’. andreaspencerglass.com
8/10Cynthia Corbett Gallery
Predominantly showcasing the work of ceramicists, Cynthia Corbett Gallery is based in London but hosts exhibitions around the world, curating pieces from international makers. It joins Collect with an impressive roster of names, including Matt Smith and Emilie Taylor. Matt often makes site-specific pieces for museums, galleries and historic houses, exploring how the history of such spaces can interplay with contemporary ceramics and how his works might represent the often marginalised viewpoints of the LGBT community. Emilie uses traditional techniques - particularly the slip technique - to create large scale pieces which she then engraves or paints with artwork depicting post-industrial landscapes. Pictured here is her ‘Sabat II’. thecynthiacorbettgallery.com
9/10Galerie REVEL
Following a successful debut at Collect 2023, Paris-based Galerie REVEL returns to the fair with a cohort of nine designers who work across textiles, ceramics, wood and metal. This includes Zimbabwe-based ceramicist Xanthe Somers and the Nigerian textile artist Samuel Nnorom. The gallery’s founder, Prince Malik Jewiti, aims to put a spotlight on the work of a diverse group of makers whose practice has been historically overlooked in the west. Pictured here is ‘Honest Toil’, by Xanthe Somers. Galerierevel.com | xanthesomers.com
Carina Shoshtary10/10Objects Beautiful
Just a year old, Objects Beautiful is a contemporary gallery founded by the Tel Aviv-born, London-based architect Dr Yael Reisner. The architect moved her practice to London in 1991, and in December 2022 decided to embark on a new project: curating a series of pop-ups which showcase the work of a range of contemporary multidisciplinary designers. For the gallery’s first showcase at Collect, Objects Beautiful will be taking over a whole room. It will primarily exhibit jewellery made using textiles, metal and glass, including the exceptionally intricate works of the artist Carina Shoshtary who has used a mixture of bio plastic, sweetwater pearls, silver, crystals, lacquer and thread to create ‘Aurora Borealis II’ - an ornate piece of wearable art. Yaelreisner.com | carinashoshtary.com
