National Portrait Gallery Shop celebrates the work of Black British designers and makers
New capsule collection to accompany major new exhibition, The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure with all items available in store post exhibition end
From left: @kingsleywaltersstudio; @bisilanoha; @umutoniofficial, @amechi.mandi, @motionsofclay, @lucocoa
Visit the National Portrait Gallery Shop during opening hours to meet the makers during London Craft Week in a packed schedule of events from the 13th May to the 18th May with items available to buy in store post exhibition end.
Amechi
Established in 2020 by founder Amechi Mandi, the eponymous homewares brand Amechi encapsulates a bold and characterful aesthetic that is founded on a belief in vibrant and playful creativity. In 2022, Mandi received House & Garden’s coveted Rising Star Award, propelling him onto the design map.
Selections include five vibrant cushion designs in woven linen and velvet. Cushions measure 35 x 50cm and are priced at £85 each.
Umutoni
Umutoni is an award-winning luxury jewellery brand on a mission to show that jewellery can be an agent of social change. Founder, Umutoni Thuku-Benzinge explains, “we work with talented artisans in Kibera, Kenya, the largest urban slum on the African continent providing job and training opportunities to communities often overlooked.”
Selections of 24k gold-plated pieces include four earring designs, two necklaces and a bangle. Prices range from £70 - £200.
Kingsley Walters
Kingsley Walters Studio creates leather bags with a focus on craftsmanship, quality, and longevity. Walters describes how his childhood memories of Kingston, Jamaica, have inspired this range: “I wanted to bring joy and nostalgia through colour and I felt the reds and yellows really helped bring them to life.”
Selections include several designs from cardholders, small shoulder bags and leather totes. Prices range from £45 - £325.
Exquisite ceramics will be available as part of the new collection from London ceramicists Bisila Noha, whose work aims to challenge Western views on art and craft and Motions of Clay who was a participant in the Great Pottery Thrown Down on Chanel 4 in 2020 who is the son of two potters creating functional and decorative ceramic art.
Prices range from £25 to £825.
Also available will be home fragrances from Goods Lifestyle Store, and a range of exclusive chocolate from Lucocoa Chocolate, including bespoke flavours available only at National Portrait Gallery.
In addition, a range featuring a graphic of the exhibition title includes a tote (£8), t-shirt (£30), baseball cap (£28) and sketchbook (£7), as well as a range of magnets (£5), mini prints (£12) and posters (£10) featuring key works from the exhibition by Jordan Casteel, Amy Sherald and Kerry James Marshall. Also available are the Gallery’s two new publications to support the exhibition – The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure Catalogue (£35) and Reframing the Black Figure: An Introduction to Contemporary Black Figuration (£14.95).
The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure is exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery until 19 May 2024, with the accompanying retail range available to purchase online and in-store at the Gallery for the duration of the exhibition and beyond.
National Portrait Gallery
Founded in 1856, the National Portrait Gallery tells the story of Britain through portraits, using art to bring history to life and explore living today. From global icons, to unsung heroes, our Collection is filled with the stories that have shaped, and continue to shape a nation. We celebrate the power of portraiture and offer encounters with some of the world’s greatest and most exciting new artists, promoting engagement with portraiture in all media to a wide- ranging public by conserving, growing and sharing the world’s largest collection of portraits.
www.npg.org.uk