ABOUT
Artefact, the contemporary craft fair, brought the joy of the handmade to an audience of designers, architects, collectors and enthusiasts in June. The new event builds on the Design Centre’s success in bringing the design community together and supporting the highest levels of creativity.
Held across eight days, Artefact saw craft celebrated across the Design Centre, with a hub of 15 revered galleries in the Design Avenue, skills demonstrations by QEST scholars in the North Dome and an Artisan Trail that brought to the surface the artisanship inherent in the showrooms’ collections. New talent could be discovered at the Crafts Council’s Form Made From installation.
The show’s success illustrates the increasing importance of craft to the interior design industry, as well as a more general longing to reconnect with creativity in-person in an increasingly digital world.
participating galleries
Exhibitors in the Design Avenue included Cavaliero Finn, Cube Gallery, Contemporary Applied Arts, Cynthia Corbett Gallery, Form Made From, Jaggedart, Katie Jones, Kingsgate Collective, Lloyd Choi Gallery, madeinbritaly, Metal Collective, Oxford Ceramic Gallery, Ruup & Form, Seeds, Ting-Ying Gallery and Vessel Gallery.
Supporting new talent, an experiential feature in collaboration with The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) showcased craft skills. The charity supports the training and education of talented and aspiring craftspeople. On the third floor, graduates of the 2019 Crafts Council Hothouse Programme presented Form Made From. Curated by Brian Kennedy, on show there was sculpture, furniture, textiles and ceramics from innovative British artists, dedicated to sustainable and repurposed materials, shapes and processes.
IN-PERSON VISITS
Contemporary craft is increasingly making its mark in the world of interior design, and this physical event presented a range of objects of astonishing breadth, scope and artistic merit. Museum-quality pieces on show at Artefact came from all over the world, and included works in unusual materials like paper and blanc de chine, as well as representations of stalwart craft disciplines like metalwork, glass, sculpture, textiles and ceramics.
Transforming an idea into reality takes passion, imagination and vision; from cutting-edge innovation to seeing the potential of materials and artisan processes. In-person visits to Artefact gave the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of how one-of-a-kind designs are conceived and made, as well as acquire unique work to cherish for years to come.
CONVERSATIONS IN CRAFT
Broadening insights and specialist knowledge, there was a talks programme curated by Grant Gibson.
MEET THE MAKERS
Interactive sessions including those in collaboration with The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) showcased craft skills.
Artisan Trail
The Design Centre’s showrooms hold a wealth of stories about craftsmanship. During the event, visitors were able to attend live demonstrations, talks and a behind-the-scenes look at how objects are made, all curated especially for Artefact.
3D Virtual Tour
If you missed Artefact, head online for a 3D walk-through of the show. Tour the galleries in the Design Avenue and the Meet the Makers hub in the North Dome, and zoom in and click on individual objects to find out more. The tour is also available to view in VR.
Subject to UK government guidelines, Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour reserves the right to change the format without notice and accepts no liability if any events are varied, relocated or cancelled.
