Collect London: five artists to look out for at London’s contemporary craft fair

Collect, the Crafts Council’s annual selling event for collectable contemporary craft, is back at Somerset House after last year’s online-only show. You can also access an online version of the show via Artsy.net until March 6. Click and Collect anyone? This is not your average craft fair. It’s THE fair for beautiful objects made by some of today’s most prominent artists, from the emerging to the established. No wonder, then, that the V&A Museum is known to regularly source from Collect, making a record 13 purchases in 2020.Alongside the main galleries, Collect Open, the fair’s platform for pioneering craft installations by emerging artists, returns with 13 projects by artists and collectives from Chile, Israel and the UK.Plus, look out for newcomers to the event lineup, like London’s Thrown gallery (@throwncontemporary), representing new and emerging British voices in clay.Can’t decide what to see? Scroll on for an edited digest. @mariannehuotari View the post on InstagramRepresented @officinesaffi Marianne Huotari is well-known for her delicate ceramic wall rug designs, which she creates at @arabiaartdepartment, Helsinki, using traditional Finnish textile methods. @amyjaynehughes See this post on Instagram. Amy Hughes, a British ceramicist and Young Masters alumni, created her ‘After Alhambra’ pieces using traditional Finnish textile techniques. @crystallatimer_art See this post on Instagram. Crystal Latimer also makes her Collect debut in the Cynthia Corbett Gallery. Her ‘Keepsakes” series features beautifully arranged mandalas featuring vintage cowgirls, cheetahs, and flora, all trimmed with tassels. @batit_studio See this post on InstagramIsraeli industrial designer Tal Batit returns as part of Collect Open. He will be exhibiting his latest work, Buttoned – SMILE! His ceramic smiley icons are a welcome boost of optimism. The contrast between the rough, matte porcelain and the shiny, shiny pins is just *chef’s kiss*@collectartfair. This year, the fair welcomes back gallerists Bullseye Projects USA, who will present works by emerging artist Anthony Amoako–Attah (@kente_glass). The Sunderland-based artist recreates the kente fabrics of his native Ghana in a series printed glass sculptures.