The Art in Artisan

This is a review of this year's Handmade in Britain at Chelsea which is unhelpful as it finished today.  So if this inspires you to go, tough - you'll have to wait until next year.  Crafts fairs, as this essentially is, can be patchy.  Sometimes you have to put on your "craft face" and try to look enthusiastic about the weird handmade hat that is inspired by Alice in Wonderland and proffered to you by a willowy young woman who will almost certainly be called Emily.

Happily not this event, which was rather good. Jewellery, textiles, glass, wood and ceramics dominated.  The fashion at the moment in ceramics is Japenese-inspired which is much to my taste.  Kerry Hastings, of whom I a big fan and whose work appears in a number of my pictures, was present. I like seeing the work of talented people and getting to speak to those who produce them.  The list below contains some of my favourites.  I have a weakness for glass so it features prominantly.

Adam Aaronson Glass Studio
A selection of highly lustred bowls (like the one top left), coloured, shaped vases, glasses, paperweights and similar.  I came away with two tumblers.

Assenden Glass, the studio of Anne Arlidge, had two very eye-catching lines.  One was plain glass cast into the shapes of vegetables and fruit, each one individually cast from a different subject.  It was a nice idea and witty, and I especially liked the asparagus.  Entirely different to this and contemplatively excellent is her Meltwater series (2nd image). Had budget and space at home allowed I would have walked away with some.

Elin Isakson Glass
A charming Scottish woman who told me about how she makes her excellent Oval rock pools, which l covet.  In addition to these she produces elegant, tall, single-coloured vases.

Judy McKenzie Ceramics and Glass
It was her ceramics I liked best.  Imposing pieces with a drip effect down the outside.  My particular favourite was a larger beige number with a mottled finish.

Young Ran Lee Ceramics
After a while the endless saki sets and Japanese-inspired vases did begin to wear on one so Young Ran Lee's work provided a nice change.  I liked the substantial, rugged, industrial feel of her pieces. They remind me of some kind of enormous tool head.

Camila Perez Gonzalez Ceramics
Sadly her website seems not to be working, but she does a fine range of lustred vases,  about eight inches high and in a variety of shapes and colours.  I particularly liked the deep blue, and came away with one (left, apologies for the picture: I took it myself with a poor camera).  She is perhaps not the most artistically daring of these exhibitors but she has a marketable style that she produces well. 

Moth and Mirror Wood
My goodness, but these are good.  Expensive though.  Finely turned, very interesting pieces of wood, some lacquered, some not, and then inlaid or gilded in gold.  These are very pretty things.  Technically the bowls are functional but it would be a travesty to molest these objects by doing something so crass as using them.  My wife's favourite was the gold inlaid chestnut burr bowl pictured below.  Mine was a set of three lacquered cups with different coloured oxidised silver on the inside.  Something to aspire to.

Blott Works describes itself as hand-engineered, functional sculptures. An example can be seen at the very bottom. They are fascinating pieces. There are clocks and lamps all in various forms,  many reminiscent of animals, with intriguing levers, pulleys and mechanisms.  There was a fine lamp that looked like a stork or wading bird.  If you have a grand to put into desk lighting then I suggest you go here.

There were others I liked but the above are my favourites.  A complete list of the exhibitors can be found here.

Incidentally this and many other posts were edited by my wife whoses excellent book is available on Amazon.