IT is a treasure trove of cutting-edge craftwork created by some of the most talented artists working in Scotland today.
Audiences in London are to be given a glimpse of the strength of Scottish design after Craft Scotland unveiled this year's submissions to 'Collect', the international art fair for modern craft and design.
Metalwork shaped to resemble ceramics, textiles inspired by the rugged landscapes of their creator's homeland and furniture crafted from Perthshire Oak are all among the works of the artists selected for Scotland's showcase at the craft sector's premier event.
Textiles form part of the showcase
Craft Scotland will have its own dedicated gallery space displaying covetable artworks in silversmithing, goldsmithing, furniture making, ceramics, weaving and blacksmithing.
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Speaking ahead of the show Craft Scotland Director, Irene Kernan said: “We are delighted to be returning to Collect in 2020 as with every year the reputation of the Craft Scotland showcase grows.
"Last year saw significant acquisitions of Scottish craft by the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge and the National Museum of Northern Ireland.
"We look forward to championing the work of these eight Scotland-based makers whose craft embraces experimental techniques and innovative materials and plays with scale and perceptions of materiality."
As well as putting Scottish design on the international stage, the event can also be lucrative for those who take part.
Ms Kernan added: "It’s these qualities, married to an ambition to push the boundaries of their work, that makes Scottish craft so highly sought after at events like Collect.
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"With sales averaging £30,000 across the four days of the event in recent years we hope the makers will enjoy financial benefits as well as professional ones.”
Araminta Campbell
Held for the first time in Somerset House in London, Collect brings together galleries, artists and collectors from around the world to display their latest creations.
Now in its 16th year, the even has gone become one of the world's leading fairs for museum-quality art, and is regarded as one of the highlights of the international craft calendar.
Following a rigorous selection process, eight Scottish artists were selected, including Daniel Freyne, a blacksmith who works with iron, and Araminta Campbell of Edinburgh, whose textile work takes inspiration from Scotland’s landscape to create carefully sourced hand-woven pieces.
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Returning artists include silversmithing artist Hamish Dobbie, whose new collection of silver drinking vessels builds on the popular collection featured last year, and master craftsman Angus Ross, who will present new work in steam-bent oak crafted using computer-controlled cutting.
Other selected include ceramicists Jonathan Wade, whose sculptures draw inspiration from the natural world, and Mella Shaw, who uses traditional smoke-firing techniques - said to be the most ancient pottery technique - to create innovative designs.
Daniel Freyne
Designer Naomi Mcintosh works with wood to create objects ranging from jewellery to sculptural objects to full-blown installations, while jeweller Rhona McCallum's geologically-inspired works come fresh from exhibitions at Goldsmiths’ Fair in London and The Museum of Arts and Design in New York.
Selection panellist Hugo Macdonald said: “The eight makers we selected to represent Scotland at Collect 2020 prove that the country’s craft heritage is thriving.
"These are compelling pieces, from the minds and hands of extremely talented craftspeople. Each of the makers demonstrates impressive skill, creativity and a commitment to quality that deserves a global platform and showcase.”
Fellow panellist Emma Nicolson added: "Scotland has a wealth of talent in craft and as one of the selection panel for this year’s Collect it was really exciting to gain a deeper insight into the range of skill and talent from across Scotland.
"The artists we selected represent the finest work we have to offer and it great that audiences in London will have the opportunity to experience it first hand."
Jessica Bonehill, Creative Industries Officer (Crafts), Creative Scotland said: “Showcasing Scottish work at Somerset House this year will highlight craft as one of Scotland’s strengths.
"The ambitious and thoughtful work selected represents the innovative ways makers in Scotland are re-imagining their fields and enriching our understanding of what it means to make craft today.”
Craft Scotland will showcase at Collect 2020 from Thursday 27 February to Sunday 1 March 2020.
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