Liking the work is not really the point, though I do; it’s the skill demonstrated in the exhibition that is breathtaking. The perfectly constructed paper kites by Oh Jeahwan hanging behind woven paper baskets by Lee Young Soon below are a case in point. Ceramic panels by Lee Seung Hee use the material in a different way […]
Fairs
Korean masters at Tent: lacquer and Najon
The Korean display is, for me, one of the highlights of Tent due to the dazzling mastery of craftsmanship. This year, the exhibition Constancy & Change in Korean Traditional Craft included a set of wooden lacquered bowls by Park Gang Yong + Jung Sang-gil. Not only are the bowls carved to fit snugly in a […]
The Handmade Alliance
The Handmade Alliance, which I came across at Design Junction, is a social enterprise teaching sewing skills to prisoners and former prisoners to help train them in a career, thus reducing reoffending rates. There is a real shortage of skilled machinists and hand sewers in the UK for businesses needing small runs and equally a […]
Knifemaker Grace Horne at Made London
Made London is always well worth a visit and this time I found knifemaker Grace Horne exhibiting her work here for the first time. Each of her pieces has a story, being much more than just functional. The travelling mortician’s kit below came about after receiving a commission from a mortuary technician to reproduce their favourite cadaver needle. These scissors, called Twisted Seamstress, form […]
Benjamin Parker’s cephalopods at The Other Art Fair
Before anyone complains about these photos, I’ve always had trouble capturing Benjamin Parker’s work once framed up. This time when I met him at The Other Art Fair his most recent cephalopod pieces impressed with their freshness and freedom of mark-making but were another nightmare for my camera. Fortunately he helped me out by sending a better image (you […]
Rugs by Ptolemy Mann
I’ve featured Ptolemy Mann’s work here before but this was the first time I’d seen her pile rug and flatweave gelim collection in the flesh. These photos were taken at Design Junction. Having made her name with the subtle use of colour in ikat, I enjoyed the satisfying combinations of her colour block designs too. She connects formal concerns […]