Craft Scotland have revealed the 11 designers and makers selected to be showcased at this year’s Collect event.
Collect is the international art fair for modern craft and design, running from Thursday February 25 to Sunday 27. Collect is the craft sector’s premier showcase, bringing together galleries, artists and collectors from around the world to present a stunning array of established and new talent.
Craft Scotland will have its own dedicated gallery space making it a real focal point of Collect 2022; showcasing covetable artworks in silversmithing & goldsmithing, furniture making, ceramics, textiles and blacksmithing. A mixture of established artists and exciting new craft talent, the eleven makers selected represent some of the most celebrated makers working in Scotland today.
Held in Somerset House in London, Collect is the craft sector’s premier showcase, bringing together galleries, artists and collectors from around the world to present a stunning array of established and new talent.
Since its launch in 2004, Collect has gone from strength to strength to become one of the world’s leading fairs for museum-quality applied art and the highlight of the international craft calendar.
Following a rigorous selection process, makers chosen include:
Jasmine Linington a textile artist whose work with foraged seaweed from Scottish coastline introduces this sustainable material in surprising new ways
Steven and Ffion Blench of Chalk Plaster furniture pieces crafted using the scagliola technique working with local pigments from the Fife Coast
Duke Christie, a Moray based furniture maker and artist whose work in wood is inspired by the natural environment surrounding his studio in the North East of Scotland. Duke plays with light and texture to create unique pieces that remind us of our elemental and emotional bond with the natural environment.
Returning artists include Daniel Freyne, a blacksmith with an in-depth knowledge of iron and forge work who is pushing the limitations of his material and Naomi McIntosh whose work in wood draws from an architectural practice and showcases new work fresh from the success of her Quiet Garden series at this year’s London Design Biennale.
The Craft Scotland showcase at Collect 2022 builds on the success of the national agency for craft’s presence at Collect 2020, Collect 2019 and Collect 2018 which resulted in a number of commissions and high-profile acquisitions by prominent museums and galleries. As part of a wider strategy for developing Scottish craft’s international profile the show will position Scotland-based makers and their work in front of global curators, collectors and buyers from world-renowned institutions.
Craft Scotland director Irene Kernan said: ‘We are delighted to be returning to Collect in 2022 as with every year the reputation of the Craft Scotland showcase grows. It will be our first major in person exhibition since the pandemic so the opportunity to see beautiful tactile pieces up close will allow visitors to appreciate the value of design-led Scottish contemporary craft and understand the master craftsmanship that goes into creating these objects.
‘Showcasing work on an international platform is incredibly important for Scotland whose global reputation as a destination for high quality craft needs to be maintained despite the challenges of Brexit and the impact of the pandemic on international markets. With sales averaging £30,000 across the four days of the event in recent years we hope the makers will enjoy financial benefits as well as professional ones.’
Jessica Bonehill, Creative Industries Officer (Crafts), Creative Scotland said: ‘Collect 2022 offers Scotland’s top contemporary, design-led craft makers a fantastic opportunity to connect and trade with international art consultants, interiors specialists, collectors, museum curators and designers. The ambitious and thoughtful work selected, represents the innovative ways makers in Scotland are re-imagining the genre and enriching our understanding of what it means to make craft today.’
Duke Christie, one of the makers selected said: ‘I was delighted to be selected as one of the artists to exhibit with Craft Scotland at Collect. My latest sculptural work has only been seen locally in the North East of Scotland and although I have had surprisingly good reactions and sales, I now feel it’s time to show my pieces further afield.
‘I believe that Collect will help create more exposure for my work. I hope to make contact with Galleries and other outlets that may wish to represent my work. I see exhibiting at Collect 2022 with the support and guidance of Craft Scotland as an invaluable experience that will help me promote and develop my business so I can continue to evolve my creative journey with wood.’
The showcase for Collect 2022 was curated by an industry panel; Helen Ritchie (Curatorial Research Associate, The Fitzwilliam Museum), Susan Holland: Exhibition & Programme Curator, National Design & Craft Gallery, Design & Crafts Council of Ireland and Jo Scott (Head of Programmes, Craft Scotland). Visitors to Collect 2022 will discover beautifully crafted statement pieces from well-established Scottish makers and emerging Scottish talent with unique perspectives.
Collect, the international art fair for modern craft and design, is the craft sector’s premier showcase, bringing together galleries, artists and collectors from around the world. It offers visitors an unrivalled opportunity to see contemporary museum-quality craft from makers represented by 30-plus of the world’s best galleries. Organised by the Crafts Council, previous editions of Collect have been held at Somerset House in London and online through Artsy.
In 2021, Collect featured 32 international galleries representing 400 artists from 35 nations, spanning from the UK to Senegal, Japan to the USA. Over 1,300 artworks were available to purchase in this year’s digital edition, with Collect being one of the most visited fairs on Artsy.net – proof of the growing appetite for contemporary craft.
For more details about Craft Scotland at Collect 2022 visit HERE.
Tickets are available HERE.
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