Collectible Craft and Design

News | 11 April 202215 April 2022

Highlighting the best of collectible crafted design, London Craft Week 2022 will feature a range of exhibitions, expert-led tours and discussions across furniture, decorative arts and jewellery. We’ve featured a selection of highlights below, but don’t miss the full line up on our Programme page.

Country Pavilion: PYTON Place

PYTON is a multidisciplinary exhibition platform and artist group in Oslo showcasing historic and contemporary Norwegian craft, art and design that are pioneering within their field. Founded in 2019 in response to a zeitgeist of rising interest in collectible design, craft and art from the contemporary Norwegian scene, PYTON is led by Henrik Ødegaard, Richard Øiestad, Tron Meyer and Are Blytt.

For London Craft Week 2022, by invitation of Norwegian Crafts, Richard and Are are curating an exhibition in Gallery 5 at Cromwell Place. The gallery space will be divided into several room typologies as a nod to the apartment it once was, using this as a catalytic idea for creating a stage for Norwegian art and design from the 20th century to the ultra-contemporary. The selection spans design, fine art and noteworthy craft objects, featuring works by up-and-coming creatives, juxtaposed with unsung heroes from Norway’s collectible design, craft and art scene of the last 100 years. Find out more.

A New Generation of Goldsmiths

Sian Evans, Lucie Gledhill, Castro Smith and Christopher Thompson-Royds are at the forefront of a new generation of goldsmiths. Within each of their bodies of work is a reinterpretation of gold as a medium and signifier. Collectively, as ‘Quartet’, they showcase their exquisite work in Sotheby’s Bing Gallery. Find out more.

Material Consciousness

As part of its Design series, Sotheby’s shines a light on renowned designer Brodie Neill with a selling exhibition of his sustainable furniture. A selection of new works – together titled Material Consciousness – showcases Brodie’s desire to reshape the world’s most precious resources into a range of collectible design pieces. Find out more.

Danish Art and Design

Explore the Danish Ambassador’s Residence on an exclusive tour led by Danish architect and design specialist Marie-Louise Høstbo, recently appointed as head of design at Fritz Hansen. Originally designed by the Danish architect Arne Jacobsen, the residence is furnished with highly coveted collectible Danish furniture and design. Find out more and book.

Contemporary Arabesque

Celebrating the icons of tomorrow, The Invisible Collection champions designs from the world’s most renowned talents. Visit their new showroom to discover Contemporary Arabesque, a collection of furniture and accessories that reinterpret traditional marquetry techniques by Lebanese designer Nada Debs. Find out more and book.

Design Icon

Visit The Conran Shop’s Chelsea and Marylebone stores during LCW to discover the UK premiere of Vitra’s limited-edition two-tone Panton Chair Duo. Embodying a continuous curve, the Panton Chair was conceived by Verner Panton in 1959 and is regarded as an icon of 20th-century furniture design. Find out more.

New Works by Alev Ebüzziya Siesbye

Turkish ceramic artist Alev Ebüzziya Siesbye has built an international reputation by modelling bowls. Though she is often referred to as a Minimalist, her small vessels look less like modern works of art and more like ancient artefacts. Join a tour of the exhibition at Tristan Hoare Gallery with curator Leonie Mir. Find out more and book.

Artisanal Excellence

Artefact, Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour’s contemporary craft fair taking place from 10–15 May, will align with LCW for the first time. Aimed at interior designers, architects, collectors and enthusiasts, the selling show brings together world-class galleries and celebrates the joy that handmade objects can bring. View work from established and emerging artists and makers, with highlights including Chinese ceramic artist Lu Bin at Ting-Ying Gallery, shortlisted for the 2022 LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize; colourful metal objects by Dublin’s Cecilia Moore at Cavaliero Finn; and delicate paper relief work by Bologna-based Lis Costa at jaggedart.

An accompanying talks series, Conversations in Craft, will bring together experts from both the craft and design industries, while scholars from QEST will give daily demonstrations of their skills. An Artisan Trail across the showrooms will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the craftsmanship behind many of the products to be found at the Design Centre. Find out more and book.

London Art Fair

For fans of collectible craft and design: London Art Fair returns this month for its 34th edition at the Business Design Centre, London, from Thursday 21 – Sunday 24 April 2022. Unveiling outstanding modern and contemporary art, this year the Fair presents over 100 leading galleries from around the world, representing Austria, USA, Portugal, Sweden, Australia and the UK. Don’t miss an inspiring programme of talks, tours and artists insights, including Platform, a space presenting well-known, overlooked and emerging artists aligning to the theme of ‘Art and Music’, curated by Candida Stevens. Find out more and book.

Featured image courtesy Christopher Thompson-Royds