At every show there are discoveries to be made. One of mine this time at M & O was Caroline Swift. She’s hardly new to the fashion and design scene but I hadn’t come across her quietly beautiful ceramics before. Bone china is deceptively delicate but still requires care. I wasn’t the only one handling […]
One-minute blog of interesting things
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As a working contemporary artist I visit many exhibitions and shows, but sometimes it is the things I see that are part of daily life that capture my interest. My one-minute blog of interesting things reflects the fact that although we are increasingly time-poor, there is creativity all around us. Email me at info@carolinebanks.co.uk with your name and email to receive a weekly post that only takes 1 minute to read.
Spotted for London Design Festival
The London Design Festival has now started and odd pieces pop up on our streets. This one is a beatifully decorated container in Gillett Square in Dalston. There wasn’t any information attached that I could see to it but the location is tailormade. I hope it stays around for a while.
Paris: Maison & Objet – Hall 8 Indoor/Outdoor
September has begun and with it the interiors and design shows in Paris and London. First off was Maison and Objet, the premier interior design and furnishing show in Europe. A new hall was opened this time bringing the total to 8 halls. That is almost as much walking as Frankfurt. I did once wear a pedometer to […]
Accessories by Samson Soboye at Soboye Soong
Fashion stylist and accessories designer Samson runs Soboye Soong, a small shop in Shoreditch which is always worth a visit. His beaded, embroidered and applique cushions and scarves are a glamorous addition to any home and wardrobe, male or female. One of the things I like about his work is the fact that it isn’t overtly gender-designed, unlike […]
Jewellery by Alice Cicolini
Some of the most interesting precious jewellery I’ve seen for a long time will be available from Liberty from next month (that’s next week). Alice Cicolini is a graduate of Central St Martin’s MA Jewellery Design and has already exhibited in both the UK and India. Her Silk Route collection for Annoushka is developed from her existing pieces, some […]
Ernesto Neto – The Edges of the World
One of the exhibitions of the summer, Ernesto Neto’s environment encompasses the outdoor terraces as well as the entire upper floor of the Hayward Gallery. The installations encourage interaction from the audience, going as far as swimming in the circular outdoor pool (numbers strictly limited – it isn’t very big). The terraces are aspects of a park […]
Creativity in business – thoughts by Youngme Moon and me
I came across these two videos and felt such a sense of recognition with Youngme Moon’s theories that I had to pass them on. As a Professor of Business Administration at Harvard what she says is definitely worth listening to. Creative team members remain undervalued and their importance is still vastly under-estimated in many companies, particularly at times when new […]
New Decor – “furniture and decoration of a room or stage”
Apart from the menacing security guard coming for me as I took this shot, I’m happy with this image of “Cama” by Los Carpinteros (the flyover bed). All the official photos are from above which is very different from the way it is experienced in the show. The exhibition itself takes interior design as a point of […]
Paris – Galeries Lafayette
As it was the last day of the sales product wasn’t the best thing to look at on this unscheduled visit. I was entranced instead by the interior of the main department store. It really is grandiose. Unlike the UK, France has very tightly controlled sales periods: they start on the same day all over the […]
Out Of Town
Peter and Sean Leonard recently opened Out Of Town, a cafe, shop and bar in Great Sutton Street which caters to many impulses. When I popped in at about 10am coffees were being served as well as furniture and accessories sold in a very relaxed, almost villagey atmosphere. The purchasing philosophy is simple: Peter and […]