The Knitted Fish Counter at the Vintage Supermarket by Merchant & Found in Soho will be coming to London in September with a new twist
Interactive solo show at Air Contemporary Gallery, Ham Yard, Soho, London
From 20th September to 5th October
Textile artist Kate Jenkins will bring her one-of-a-kind, sequined, embroidered, and knitted fish counter and Oyster Cart to Soho, London for a solo show that will see the celebrated artist - who celebrates 20 years of her Brighton based studio - manning the counter.
Customers will be able to choose their own plate – any number of sequinned anchovies, knitted prawns, embroidered oysters and mussels and more - and have their items mounted by hand on a choice of predesigned plates or platters (you can choose from simple white bone china, blue and white willow ware, Le Creuset casserole dishes, Newspaper or prawn cocktail glasses). Each one is signed by the artist, in limited edition and priced from £100.
The interactive, joyful and celebratory installation will show at Air Contemporary Gallery, Ham Yard, Soho from 20 September to 5 October.
It is the second time Kate Jenkins has brought the Fish Counter to Soho this year with customers queuing up at the Vintage Supermarket by Merchant & Found which launched during London Craft Week. The 6,000 sq ft Vintage pop up championed the best vintage furniture, lighting and accessories with unique pieces sourced from Europe and beyond. It saw thousands of visitors over four days at the Vinyl Factory Soho who were delighted with creative displays and innovative craft installations from a diverse range of makers to exhibit in partnership with Vinterior, House & Garden The List and London Craft Week.
Kate’s work is highly sought after by global collectors and the artist will show in New York in December 2024 at Eerdman’s Gallery NYC (a range of New York inspired goods such as knitted bagels) and this will follow with a solo show at the Gallery in September 2025. Yorkshire Sculpture Park has also commissioned the artist for an installation in 2027 and other Galleries across Europe are set to be confirmed.
Customers at the Knitted Fish counter can choose a pre printed plate such as the one above and mount their chosen art work.
Kate Jenkins said, “I was overwhelmed by the response to the Vintage Fish Counter during London Craft Week. Since then, we have been inundated with clients looking for bespoke artworks for their homes or commercial clients looking to make a statement. We have some very exciting launches in the pipeline. Each artwork is made with love, crafted by hand using cutting edge techniques and with sustainable yarn – even the smallest sardine. With a fashion background, a love of knitting, food, and fun led to me starting the business and since then, I have not stopped. We look forward to seeing you at the Fish Counter!”
Customers can also buy new seafood themed artwork at the exhibition which are framed and signed starting at £5,000.
Kate Jenkins
British artist Kate Jenkins uses knit and crochet to recreate depictions of food with wit. The works are incredibly skillful and realistic and she has exhibited internationally. Based in Brighton where she works at her Mews studio, she is now celebrating 20 years. Having studied fashion at the University of Brighton she developed her love of knitting, embroidery and crochet from her mother and grandmother. Inspiration for her works come from her travels around the world and the way food is presented, consumed and loved. Her first solo show was in 2008 in London where she created a greasy spoon cafe exhibition entitled ‘Kate’s Cafe’ where she crocheted an entire cafe filled with crocheted fried breakfasts, plates of bangers and mash. Since then she has had worldwide success in having solo shows in Barcelona, Hong Kong, New York, Dublin and a highly acclaimed 3 month solo show in Rijswijk Museum, Netherlands. Clients include Chaos 69 x Chanel, Viking Cruises, Harper's Bazaar, Anthropologie .
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