Highlights from Collect 2020
It has been a great privilege and joy to work on the PR for Collect for the past two years in 2019 and 2020 as part of Button Collective and see it grow and mature even further as it moved to the classical grandeur of Somerset House for its 16th edition. At Collect you can commission anything from a stunning table to a beautiful piece of ceramic or a huge installation in glass and visitors are just as interested to be introduced to new talents as established names.
Who knew how the world would suddenly change when we were immersed at Collect from 27 Feb – 1 March 2020 – shaking hands with gallerists from Milan and all over the globe, it was just a few weeks before Italy became the first in Europe to be immersed in what we now know as a global pandemic. Positioned at the start of the cultural calendar, the Crafts Council founded Collect in 2004 with the aim to build the profile and sales for collectable craft and to promote the very best galleries and artists from a global field. It continues to be the only gallery-presented art fair dedicated to modern craft and design providing an opportunity to discover and invest in exceptional work produced in the last five years by living artists, much of which is made especially for Collect.
For 2020, Collect moved to the striking Somerset House, taking over rooms and presenting a new environment for exhibitors to contextualise and curate modern craft. The plan was very much to hold Collect 2021 at the same venue but as yet we are unsure as to what form that will take. Whatever happens it will be an exciting year for The Crafts Council as it celebrates its 50th anniversary with a new Gallery at its Islington headquarters and other key events.
Given the huge array of artists – over 400 and galleries, half of which come from outside the UK it is almost impossible to condense down just a few highlights from Collect 2020 but some do stick out – visually if nothing else. The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) celebrated its 30th anniversary with a curated display of British Craft scholars including sculptural baskets by Ann-Marie Sullivan.
New galleries included The Gallery by SOIL from Hong Kong, Gallery SP, Gallery Sklo and Lloyd Choi Gallery. Lloyd Choi is based in London for half the year was also celebrating her own London gallery launch at Collect specialising in South Korean ceramics.
“Glass this year was exceptional with renowned galleries London Glassblowing, Vessel Gallery, Bullseye Projects, North Lands Creative and Galeri Kuzebach presenting incredible pieces. The work of Loewe Foundation Craft Prize Laureate Joon Yong Kim was extraordinary in colour and form and shone in the windows of Somerset House.”
Another highlight was works from Africa and its diaspora, 50 Goldborne gallery’s offering included tapestries by Sanaa Gateja who works with Ugandan women to produce beautiful recycled paper beads which are then woven onto bark cloth. The finished pieces were stunning.
Collect Open is always something to look forward to and this year, the works of 12 individual artists were chosen to exhibit based on their boundary pushing work. Margo Selby’s stand was visually stunning and awarded a Crafts Council Collect prize for Vexillum, a grand-scale series of handwoven artworks.
Annette Townsend’s work in beeswax was also standout both for its environmental message and beauty. Example of her work below - impossible to think it is beeswax.
Cox London and Rachel Chudley designed the Collect VIP Lounge to stunning effect and UK based gallery, Cavaliero Finn showcased a huge hanging sculpture by Daniel Reynolds within the West Wing at Somerset House casting shadows and mesmerising energy to the space. It was the largest piece Daniel Reynolds had ever created in his signature glass and ceramic.
Cox London and Rachel Chudley VIP Room
Daniel Reynolds in his studio courtesy of Cavaliero Finn