Made London: Contemporary Making in Britain Today

While factories go to Asia or are in the hands of a few, Fine Arts and Crafts remain in the country and are owned by companies of one or two people. The Creative Industry creates wealth that it is local and fairly distributed because of its nature of individual designs. It reflects the unique personality and approach of the artisan.

After a super successful inaugural year in 2012, MADE LONDON – The Design and Craft Fair, returns to One Marylebone, London, to once again present the very best in contemporary craft and design until this Sunday the 27th. Showcasing over 110 highly original makers and designers, from colourful glassware to the softest knitted textiles, elegant ceramics to dazzling jewellery and classic furniture to fabulous fashion. MADE LONDON selects long established and well known makers as well as brand new emerging makers. It is organised by the team that has run the highly successful Brighton Art Fair since 2004.

Sheep Family by Barbara Keal

One Marylebone is a stunning building. A beautiful converted Sir John Soane Church in central London, directly opposite Great Portland Street tube and right by Regents Park. MADE LONDON will use all 3 floors, including the double height crypt and mezzanine. The variety and the quality is very impressive and I have done a selection, albeit impossible, of interesting artisans.

Barbara Keal is a feltmaker from Lewes. She is as unexpected as humorous. Keal hand makes felted hats and costumes inspired by animals both real and imaginary, relishing the joy they give to all who wear them. Since Origin London 2010 Barbara’s dream for hats to change the world has become tantalisingly closer- the attention they have received now stretches globally, in leaps and bounds Barbara’s work is progressing as an incredibly exciting British Collection that crosses boundaries between sculpture, craft, design and fashion effortlessly without losing it’s authenticity.

Yu-Ping Lin makes textile jewellery and is based in Birmingham. An interesting concept with beautiful results. She graduated from Birmingham City University and obtained MA degree in Jewellery, Silversmithing and Related Products. Yu-Ping’s work is process-based and structurally complex.

“I do not set out to be a jewellery or fashion designer but as my portfolio developed and I became interested in both elements and aesthetics.”

Her work focuses on the notion of Origami and Chinese paper art, architectural structures, interaction and seduction of pattern; the original pleasure captured by the structure of organisms inherent in nature.

D-Light Lamp by Christian O’Reilly

Christian O’Reilly is a contemporary furniture maker from North Cornwall. As he says:

“Our furniture is of the highest quality with fine and subtle detailing. I take great care resolving each design, focusing on proportion, line and how light plays on every surface, to give each piece a distinctive identity. When designing, I draw inspiration from shapes or lines which catch my attention. It can be anything from the shape of a pebble on the beach to the lines and form of a Citroen DS (a car for which I have somewhat of a weakness). Sustainability is a key issue for us. We do not use endangered wood species in our work and aim to source our materials from well managed, sustainable sources”.

Dialogue Collective was formed by a London based group of artists with a background in jewellery and silversmithing. The remit is to develop different and interesting ways to create and show through collaborative making and discussion. Laura Cave, a member of the group, trained as a jeweller at the Royal College of Art and has worked with anodised aluminium for 15 years. She has developed many of her own techniques with print and colour, and makes both wearable jewellery pieces and themed wall installations which involve the audience in an element of interaction. By offering small pieces of work in exchange for light-hearted advice or information, she raises questions about value and gives her audience control of how her work evolves.

Lara Aldridge, from Brighton, is a design partnership of Lara and Jon Oakley who have been successfully designing and making creative glassware for the homeware and retail industries for the last 20 years. The kiln-formed glasswork of Lara Aldridge Glass is instantly recognisable due to the collage technique used, which fuses metals into glass to create unique colours, patterns and textures. Lara and Jon have used this method to produce a range of pieces of varying sizes including customized wall panels, large and small triptychs, mirrors and kitchen splashbacks.

Finally, Sarah Young, also from Brighton, has presented a series of alluring animals printed on tea-towels, which can be cut, simply sewn and stuffed to make lovely toys or cushions. She is a Printmaker, Painter, Designer, Maker and Illustrator.

MADE LONDON allows us to personally meet a wide array of craftmaking created in England today.

Wall Installation by Laura Cave

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Made London: Contemporary Making in Britain Today