Changing Minds at Southbank: Mental Health Arts Festival

RCA Design Interaction student Jinhee Park rearranging her 'Solitude' installation

Uncovering Clerkenwell Design Week 2014's Secrets

Clerkenwell Design Week Map. Source: clerkenwelldesignweek.com

A Spaniard in London, Enrique Perezalba Red Interview in Klei Magazine. Issue 1, Jan/Feb 14

“I create seductive art that turns heads like a beautiful woman walking down the street.”

The Cream of New Designers' Ceramic Crop

It is a truth universally acknowledged that New Designers showcases great ceramics. An exaggeration perhaps, but the past five consecutive years of surprise-filled visits have suggested otherwise. Here's 5 exciting emerging designers that prove why the infinite possibilities mean clay is still one of the the most seductive materials they can't keep their hands off.

David Marques (Central Saint Martins)

David Marques
Central Saint Martins is one of the best ceramics BA courses in the country right now, judging from the calibre of its students' work. Marques is a Portuguese designer who has worked previously in the Geneva watch business. Remarkable attention to detail is evident in this stunning, functional clock with hand-painted gold transfers. It was custom made as part of an installation of seven cuckoo clocks for prestigious Portuguese porcelain company Vista Alegre's flagship stores in Lisbon and Porto.
 

Annie Jones (University of Sunderland),

Annie Jones
Is it a miniature garden? A new form of cigarettes-in-plaster contemporary art? Just some of the wild (and obviously wrong) possibilities that crossed my mind when I first saw Jones' intriguing vitrines. Jones' living laboratories are an ongoing body of research exploring the contained reactions of raw chemicals in clay bodies, over time and exposed to varying conditions.  The effects fluctuate massively and result in striking patterns and vivid colours, like the container above showing purple crystallised chalks drawing up green copper oxide (a potent glaze colourant) from the white porcelain, a process known as chromatography.

Ant Pipe (De Montfort University)

Ant Pipe

Repurposing moulds and debris collected from the derelict Spode factory site in Stoke-on-Trent, Pipe pays homage to the 18th century innovators who made English fine bone china world famous. The make-up-like hues and textures of the miniature pots range from the smoothest white to the blackest, rock-like of clays – a delight to the senses.

Charlotte Mary Pack (Central Saint Martins)

Charlotte Mary Pack

Having raised in a farm, Pack's love for animals is unquestionable, exemplified by an astonishing installation of tiny hand-modelled and sculpted porcelain mammals on the endangered species list (I lost count, but over 200 would be my guess). All creatures big and small are included – from a tree rat that measures approximately 10mm by 5mm (slightly bigger than a tic-tac), scaling up to the lifelike, fist-sized mountain gorilla. The designer has plans to make a similar work raising awareness on reptiles facing extinction due to man-made destruction. Surely a commission from Stella McCartney is on the horizon?

Carys Joan Evans (Falmouth University)

Carys Joan Evans
Perfectly proportioned at around a foot, Evans' elf-like human and flora hybrids encapsulate the imagination of the young Welsh maker who counts landscapes as a huge source of inspiration. The mellow brown, green and yellow glazes as well as the unusual organic materials she incorporates (boar hair for instance) brings her charming 'walking forests' to life.

New Designers Part 2 (focusing on visual communication, industrial and spatial design), opens July 3 - 6. 

Image credits from top: (David Marques) studiodavidmarques.com, (Annie Jones) Photography by Jo Howell on annie-jones.com, (Carys Joan Evans) carysjoanevans.wix.com. All other images taken by me with permission of artist

We Found Love in New Designers

It's no secret that I am a big fan of New Designers. I'm admittedly a bit biased, but in my opinion it is the biggest, most eclectic, exhilarating and frankly underrated design degree show in the UK - and as it's summer, there's no shortage of them to explore right now.

The best thing about New Designers is that there really is something for everyone and no two sights are ever exactly alike. For me textiles this year was particularly memorable - we're seeing boundaries pushed with experimental, unconventional materials, cutting-edge techniques and diverse outcomes, from fashion, interiors and furnishing fabrics to sculptural and conceptual surfaces. Interestingly the line between mediums seems to be increasingly dissolved; for example, clay as a form of textile, either as repeated compositions or inserted components.  Who knows? Maybe literally putting on your best china (check out Li Xiao Feng's ceramic couture here) isn't too impractical after all.


The 5 New Textile Talents to Know

Aisling Duffy (Edinburgh College of Art)

Aisling Duffy
Creating crazy coloured digitally-printed fabrics, 3D-embroidered and charmingly childish ceramic accessories, Duffy works in mysterious layers that reveal the private/public aspects of our lives. Her work has that infectious, slightly psychedelic 'happy effect' much like Meadham Kirchoff (which she counts as inspiration), Ashley Williams and Sophia Webster which is trendy and highly marketable right now.

Emily Plumbly (Norwich University of Arts)

Emily Plumbly

Plumbly is a mixed-media print artist who constructs intricate, fabric-like sculptures using a heated 3D textile medium that feel as intriguing to the touch as it does to the eye. A simple yet painstaking technique that creates unsuspecting, unique and experimental effects - her white spiderweb-like pieces have an ethereal allure and organic growth about them which distinguishes her work from the crowd.

Ellys Beale (Loughborough University)

Ellys Beale
Ellys Beale's fierce wolf and graphic Aztec fashion prints caught my eye in an instant. With a discerning eye for detail (her pieces would make stunning editorials) and high-profile placements with Mary Katrantzou, Matthew Williamson and Diane Von Furstenberg under her belt, expect to find her pieces at a high-end designer boutique near you soon. 

'Amble'  by Harry Owen (Camberwell College of Arts)
image: ambledesign.com

Amble

Harry Owen's exquisitely North-London made 'Amble' leather collection epitomises what contemporary English craftsmanship is about - lovingly handmade, ethically sourced, one-of-a-kind pieces that only get better with age. Crated using rare English Oak Tanned leather from Devon (which feels and smells lovely in case you're wondering), leather accessories such as this gorgeous backpack are timelessly elegant and practical.

Si Chen (Nottingham Trent University)

Si Chen
Chinese MA Textile Design Innovation graduate Si Chen shows us why minimalism is the design trend of 2013- subtle prints and simple shapes can be as powerful as loud colours, frills and patterns. Her inter-disciplined practice encompasses coordinated woven print garments, jewellery and prints as shown here. Titled 'Reflection of Shadows' the pale pink and monochrome geometric prints are based on fabric swatches created by the artist.

On the whole New Designers Part 1. was noticeably less chaotic and stripped back compared to previous years - welcome news to returning visitors (which you probably will be after your first). Gone are the unnecessary and eco-unfriendly printed maps, plus the layout was easier to navigate with more immersive multimedia displays rather than stands where you have to complete a 360 circle (If you're a student and think they're the best way to showcase the fruits of your three-year labour, they're not. They just leave visitors disorientated and make your work impossible to differentiate from the textile stands beside you, especially if you work in print). 

If you enjoyed this post, look out for the upcoming feature on New Designers' ceramicists.

New Designers Part 2 (focusing on visual communication, industrial and spatial design), opens July 3 - 6. 

(All images taken with permission of artist by me unless specified otherwise)

The Art of Hong Kong Eye, Saatchi Gallery

Inside Amy Cheung's 'Toy Tank' at 'Hong Kong Eye'

Saatchi’s 'Hong Kong Eye' is an 18-course amuse-bouche of the region's brewing contemporary art scene. If there was any doubt, just look at renowned Swiss fair Art Basel's debut in Hong Kong last month – which attracted plenty of customers  (including Kate Moss and Roman Abramovich apparently) eager for a slice of the massively lucrative market.  

Sponsored by Prudential, Asia's leading corporate UK owned insurance company (the hint is in it's name), I was keen to discover how the show would, as its official introduction claims, “draw on (artists) specific cultural backgrounds to expose the city’s nuances” convincingly to new audiences.

Known as " The Pearl of the Orient", it’s easy to be seduced by the city's glossy patina: a teeming hyper-networked metropolis, breathtaking skyline boasting most Rolls-Royces per capita. But at what social/psychological price? This is unadulterated HK in the eyes of its own artists; where unspoken anxiety simmers headily throughout the exhibition. 

Amy Cheung's life-sized wooden 'Toy Tank' 

Standing in the first room is Amy Cheung's full-size wooden ‘Toy Tank’, a loaded choice of material for a symbol so potent. Visitors are invited play combat; crawling inside the vehicle, submerged in darkness. Video screens and joysticks let one navigate and unleash gunfire within a simulated Saatchi Gallery. Complete with realistic sound effects, the haunting atmosphere and unmistakable echoes of Tiananmen are inescapable. Curiously lying in its path is Adrian Wong's five-foot animatronic peanut soft toy, convulsing like dying road-kill. Novel child's play aside, these examples show how local artists are incorporating the cutting-edge technology in their work. Compared to the west, its apparent lack of established arts infrastructure and rules appears to work in its favour. 

Justin Wong’s 'Difficult Life Decision' encompasses two works. The first is a giant periodic table of stickered symbols across an entire wall. Parodying a typical gruelling cycle of work, stress and digitally-prompted demands, the day starts with "Email” and ends in “Blank”, contrasting with signs of human woes like “Why Me”, “Mortgage” and “Day Off”. It’s the blueprint of the kind of living mode Londoners are frighteningly catching up with.

Justin Wong 's 'Difficult Life Decision''

The second part is a kiosk that asks rhetorically “How Are U Today?” Conceived, explains the helpful touch screen, to “help overworked white-collar employees contemplate life or even create a new one”, by anonymously sharing their secrets, worries and pent-up frustrations. If Wong’s works visually encapsulate HK’s insanely-paced work ethic, the definitive soundtrack belongs to Joao Vasco Paiva's installation of MTR (HK’s underground) turnstiles. A clanging-metal racket so ingrained as a Hong Konger; I barely noticed how irritatingly loud it was it until now. 

On more contentious ground, questions about China’s cultural identity are painted in Chow Chun Fai's iconic movie scenes of Chinese capitalist dreams. Everyone wants a piece of China now, but there is less concern for its own people, let alone those who speak openly about it. Issues like corruption seem to be subtly implied in subtitled actors' quotes − “China is not ruled by Chinese anyway”. Unlike the 'Korean Eye' or 'Indonesian Eye', unsurprisingly this is as controversial as it gets. 

Chow Chun Fai, 'Legend of the Fist: China is not Ruled by Chinese Anyway'

That being said, I don’t think 'Hong Kong Eye' was ever intended to expose its dark side. Intensity has always been the way of life; China didn't prosper by luck. 

The most unique aspect shown is HK’s mongrel culture, owed to its rich history as a former British colony and international trading port. An incongruous collage of old meets new, east meets west under constant urban renewal. Ho Sin Tung’s 'LOVE HOTEL: Please pretend we’ve been to a lot of places' includes a collage of cards from locally-endangered seedy motels named after glamorous holiday destinations. “Venice Inn”, “Hawaii Guest House” and the delightfully misspelt “Romb Hotel” are kitschy delights you'd never find in a tourist map. 

This is an show where somewhat frustratingly, no message or agenda is explicit. Contemplative effort, imagination and open-mindedness are needed to appreciate HK’s cultural fabric – which is complex, idiosyncratic and contradictory. However its mystic allure is a promising sign of big things yet to come.

Images from top:  pbs.org, aesthetica.com, guardian.co.uk, ocula.com

London's Top 5 Treasure Hunts

Treasures old, treasures new, treasures worth the pilgrimage to...Inspired by Channel 4’s ‘Four Rooms’* and my Blom & Blom recycled lighting piece for Phoenix Magazine, trawling for treasure has never been more fashionable. Here are 5 fantastic events where you just might get lucky

Christina Reviews- Collect, 11-14th May 2012, Saatchi Gallery

Shigekazu Nagae, Slipcast and glazed porcelain, Yufuku Gallery (Japan)

Since its controversial move to its Chelsea Duke of York Square premises in 2008, it’s fair to say the Saatchi gallery in London is better known for its cutting edge art and photography, rather than showcasing ‘craft’. Don’t let that put you off. Any doubts on whether contemporary craft is serious business (worth over £800 million in the UK alone) were readily eradicated after visiting this year’s Collect.

Supported by the Crafts Council, Collect is the most prestigious international contemporary craft fair in the UK. This year saw 31 gallery exhibitors, from UK, Europe to Asia, including China for the first time. This is where international collectors, major buyers, gallery directors and museum curators hunt down the finest pieces to add to their prized public collections. To indicate how serious it is- there’s even a Collect Art Fund of £70,000 where curators pitch in front of a Dragon’s Den-style committee why they should acquire their chosen item.

This year ceramics and jewellery were impressive, with works that left me speechless (in good and bad ways). In terms of pushing the boundaries of concepts, materials and techniques, the Northern European scene are evidently more fearless than its British counterparts. The contemporary jewellery scene in the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Belgium have been well established here for a number of years now, fronted by galleries like Galerie Marzee. Jewellery is not just concerned with adornment- it can be avant-garde, wearable (or unwearable), sculptural, which seek their own identity beyond the wearer.

One must applaud the anything-goes spirit of shocking items like German jeweller Stefan Heuser’s giant beaded necklace, made from human breast milk (Galerie Rob Koudijs). Animal lovers beware- from Idiots’ dissected taxidermy bird necklace (to Märta Mattsson’s electroformed, crystal studded spiders (both represented by Galerie Marzee), nothing is too bizarre for bling.

The ancient oriental technique of laquerware saw an unexpected return this year; the refreshing interpretations by Chinese (Hanart TZ Gallery, Hong Kong) and Japanese galleries (Yufuku Gallery and Exhibition Space) leading the way. The bar was set exceptionally high- the enamelled metal, ceramic, bronze, glass, woven metal and bamboo artists from Yufuku Gallery showing unparalleled craftsmanship and innovation. What surprised me was how radically modern the works were- nothing of dated impression of Japanese porcelain and Chinese Ming vases I embarrassedly had before. It was like discovering the unseen wonders of a foreign world.

What a pity one has to wait another year to see such amazing objects!

Collect 2012 highlights

Christina Schou Christensen, Galerie Sofie Lachaer & Caroline Van Hoek (Belgium)

Sidsel Hanum, stained Limoges porcelain, Galleri Format (Norway)

Felicity Aylieff, Clare Beck at Adrian Sassoon (UK)

Emmeline Hastings, perspex and titanium bangle, Lesley Craze Gallery (UK)

Jamie Bennett, enamelled necklace, Antonella Villanova (Italy)

Michihiro Sato, paper brooch, Lesley Craze Gallery (UK)

Tang Ming Xiu , laquer and 18th century porcelain, Hanart TZ Gallery (HK)

Idiot's taxidermy bird and pearl necklace, Galerie Marzee (The Netherlands)

The Rhizome Chair, Crook and Jones in Collect's Project Space (UK)

 

All photographs taken by Christina Lai with permission from gallery/artist.

East Meets West- Design Now! At Mokspace, 24th April- 3rd May

It’s a tad cheeky, but what better way to mark the resurrection of Christina’s Anatomy than a blog post on my latest exhibition!

East meets West- Design Now! runs from the 24^th April to 3^rd May, at Mokspace Gallery, opposite the British Museum (one of my favourite inspirational hangouts ) The new London gallery is uniquely dedicated to promoting emerging artists from the Asia Pacific- Korea, Taiwan, China, Japan, Hong Kong and Macau. This is Mokspace’s first collaboration with ArtsThread, the leading global art and design talent network.

Christina Lai Seeds of Sanity, 2011

My Seeds of Sanity ceramics (see links below) will be featured alongside 19 talented Asia Pacific artists, all recent graduates. Expect a dynamic range of 2D and 3D works, from drawing and painting to ceramics, jewellery, furniture, and installation. The aesthetics and philosophy of nature, in its broadest sense is the coincidental theme that draws the work together in this modest but freshly modern space.  

From abstract animal shapes, sleek, minimalist contours, dreamy animal-human hybrids to peeling, and disintegrating surfaces of nature - this is a visual feast worth brazing the tube strikes for. Without giving too much away, the ones to look out for (and feel jealous for not thinking of it myself) are the bubble gum coloured, encrusted Tropical Sea Adventure rings by Wenhui Li, the seductively shiny snow-cap glazed melting pots by Koji Shiraya and a clever interactive jewellery installation by Yenz Lin- phew!

If you want to see why the Asia Pacific is a growing hotbed for innovative design talent, or simply to experience something new in London’s overcrowded gallery scene, this is for you.

To read an interview on my Seeds of Sanity Collection visit http://blog.artsthread.com/2012/04/qa-christina-lai-mokspac/

Christina Lai ceramics website

Christina Lai ArtsThread portfolio

Mokspace

33 Museum Street

London

WC1A 1LH

Breaking the Mould - An Interview with Carol McNicoll

Carol McNicoll at Ideal Home exhibition, Marsden Woo Gallery. Table by Sam Scott

Carol McNicoll on Subverting Pots

Review on Grayson Perry- The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman (6th October 2011- 15th February 2012)

Grayson Perry ceramic vase,You Are Here, 2011 (Detail)
Image: Bengedig.com

‘This is a memorial to all the anonymous craftsmen that over the centuries have fashioned the manmade wonders of the world…The craftsman’s anonymity I find especially resonant in an age of the celebrity artist.’ 

Grayson Perry

The British Museum’s The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman is Grayson Perry’s most ambitious project to date, a major installation of his own work and museum objects by unknown craft makers.

Grayson Perry is an anomaly, respected (debatably) in both the contemporary art and craft world, circles which are always in dispute with one another. Perry’s pots came to fame for depicting controversial scenes of graphic violence and child abuse; making powerful satirical statements on history and contemporary society. But to the wider public he will always be better known for his flamboyant alter ego Claire, who he dressed up as and immortalised on his 2003 Turner win. With his celebrity ‘mad potter’ status and reputation for ‘winding up people with pots’, his exhibition at the British Museum was bound to kick up a fuss. It is highly unorthodox for a museum known for its ancient artefacts (made mostly by the deceased) to feature the work of a living modern artist, let alone grant the reins to curate an entire exhibition. The show was highly anticipated for months prior to its opening, reiterated by video interviews and no less than two BBC TV specials.

The exhibition can best be summed up as a journey through a fantasy civilisation- with Alan Measles, his much loved childhood teddy bear as the benign dictator, war hero, shaman and pope. Every aspect has been designed and curated to feel like a religious pilgrimage, illustrated by around 26 of Perry’s work (ceramics, tapestries, drawings cast iron amongst others) plus 190 objects he selected from the museum’s collection. These are divided into themes such as Magick, Shrines, Sex, Death, and Craftsmanship. The former four ideas appear fitting, given the grim, witty nature of Perry’s pieces. The latter is relevant if you consider the technical skill, fluency with diverse materials and labour that goes into them. There is, of course Perry’s much publicized outspokenness championing the merits of craft in the higher status world of modern art.

Grayson Perry on his customized Kenilworth AM1 and motorbike gear, 2011

Perry sees museums and galleries as churches of cultural pilgrimage, where pilgrims flock to see precious, holy objects (=modern art) of gods and saints (=modern artists). By placing his work and historical artefacts of inspiration directly beside each other, the connections become tangibly clear.  One is compelled to inquisitively look closer at the objects, as narrative conversations are brought to life.

The ceramicist’s pots are the highlights of the show. They are richly alluring visual tableaux- intricately decorated with sgraffito drawings, handwritten and stencilled texts, sprigged motifs, transfers and glossy glazes. To some modern art can be overly aloof and abstract, making one feel less intelligent than the artist. This is never the case here. Perry ties historical ideas with contemporary culture effectively, using recognisable imagery and text in a dark yet light-hearted fashion.  This provoking visual buffet keeps viewers guessing and entertained. The frivolous now is a classic example, a pot chronicling the media buzzwords of February 2011. From ‘Botox’, ‘Big Society’ to ‘Diabetes’, seeing the banalities of modern society right in front of you is an uneasy experience- forcing us to confront worrying concerns and superficial obsessions.  Pushing the psychological boundaries of comfort (having a psychotherapist wife must help) is something Perry achieves masterfully, allowing him to get away with pretty much any taboo.

Ion Tutuianu and  Gheorghe Prescura, 'Doctor' New Year celebration mask, 1993
Image: The Trustees of the British Museum

Although Alan Measles has taken centre stage as the Alpha male, Claire gleefully crops up to mark his feminine side. Shrine to Alan and Claire depicts the marriage between them, while a blacksmith forges over the anvil in the background. (Blacksmiths have been symbolic of 'anvil priests' who conducted ‘irregular marriages in Gretna Green). The union of the two addresses Perry’s belief that all social problems are a result between the imbalances of the sexes of our psyche. Maybe this is the reason why he chooses to cross-dress, though Claire is semi-retired these days. (On BBC’s Hardtalk he admitted having ‘integrated his inner transvestite into his personality’ as he’d gotten older)

The fluid states of gender are perhaps the most fascinating themes of the show; with ranging tributes to 18^th French century cross dressing spy Chevalier D'Eon de Beaumont, to paraphernalia of modern day Japan transvestites. Amongst Perry’s creations is a white silk ‘High priestess cape’, beautifully embroidered with oriental birds perched on blossom branches. Look closer and you’re in for a shock-the ‘birds’ are in fact winged penises spewing juices from flower shaped lips. Perry justifies his choice of imagery and challenges any prudishness, by juxtaposing ancient artefacts with explicit sexual imagery, or shaped as phalluses.

An example of this the Sheela-na-gig, a small carved stone statue of a woman opening her vulva with her hands, dating back to 12^th century Ireland.  This image may seem pornographic today, but sexual imagery and nudity was part of everyday life for our ancestors, used prominently on ancient Greek and Roman jewellery, amulets, paintings and furniture for example. Sheela-na-gigs weren’t sleazy sex toys to be kept hidden, but were venerated to ward off lust and evil spirits, found on public buildings, castles and churches.In this context sexual imagery seems harmless. It is as though Perry is trying to convince us that we are the ‘perverts’; contemporary society having regressed to a state of sexual conservatism.

At times Perry’s interpretations come across as over-laboured, contrived caricatures. Several of his ceramic and cast metal objects unabashedly simulate the original artefacts’ appearance, technique and materials. In small doses it is tolerable, even brilliant, but when they are this blatant and copious (like the show's supposed climax- a five foot wide cast iron ship coffin, complete with bottled blood, sweat and tear offerings, and a 250000 old flint), the theatricality makes it hard to take seriously. Not that this matters to Perry anyway.

Grayson Perry cast iron pilgrim,  'Our Mother', 2009
Image: Stephen White

Given the curatorial objectives, the notion of the anonymous, penniless but honourable craftsman sits uneasily with Perry’s work, since his name is undeniably the most lucrative draw of the exhibition and its shop merchandise. Nevertheless, a great exhibition is one that gets people thinking and talking- whether you like his art or not. Judging by the amount of press coverage, reviews and public interest it has gathered, as far as he and the British Museum are concerned, the show has been a remarkable success.  Upon first glance his work seems completely bonkers; Perry warns visitors not to ‘search too hard for meaning’ from the outset. However, it is precisely when you inspect his work closely, making your own links, grasping the underlying ideas that strangely make sense in Perry’s world, do you discover there is more to this ‘celebrity charlatan’ than he would like you to believe. 

Christina’s Wish list- Cockpit Christmas Open Studios

Gathering Wood by Katharine Morling

Late November and early December is when consumers are simultaneously bombarded by craft, design and affordable art fairs, all vying for a prized spot on your Christmas shopping hit-list. There’s simply too much choice and too little to spend it on.

Until scientists figure out how to scatter clones across multiple destinations, this year I decided to be well, decisive.  Opting out of polished gallery exhibitions and glossy department stores (cue: beautiful but overpriced gifts), during the last 2 weekends I went straight to the source at Cockpit Christmas Open Studios. Its annual Christmas open studios in upmarket Holborn (25-27 November) and up-and-coming Deptford (2-4 December) are fantastic for picking up unconventional gifts at a snip of the shop price.

Cockpit is a social enterprise which supports independent designer makers mainly through its unique business incubator package. (In case you’re wondering, the name originates from the site of the Holborn building, which was once an 18^th century cockfighting yard).

At first glance, the exteriors of both studio buildings were hardly glamorous, my head embossed with the image of industrial factories and billows of black smog. But once inside the festive excitement and was overwhelmingly infectious. Visiting a designer-makers’ open studios is a bit like getting a sneak peek at Santa’s elves in his factory. You get to see where the magic happens (some were literally making), satisfying one's curiosity of how beautiful things are made. It was slightly surprising to discover artisans of diverse crafts working alongside each other in each studio. Weaving looms, knitting machines and digital fabric printers stood beside Victorian letterpresses, kilns and jewellery benches. I’d never seen such eclectic disciplines  drawn together in a dynamic hub of creative talent; brimming with enthusiasm and inspiration of which makers must inevitably rub off on each other.

Each maker’s space had a personalised atmosphere- from music, aroma, to lighting (I was seduced by dimly lit boudoir of Holloway Smith Noir). Even kilns and sewing machines were given a sprinkle of Christmas embellishment or used as display props. Plus there was amazing warm mulled cider and nibbles offered to keep shoppers spirits’ merry. I’ll definitely be visiting again.

In recession stricken times, Cockpits’ success is testament that the artisan crafts spirit, community and industry are very much alive.


Christmas at Cockpit- Top 10 Gift Picks

Spoil Loved Ones (or more likely yourself!)

1.  Extravagantly opulent with gold and precious stones, this Hoard brooch by Ruth Tomlinson is a headturner

2. This bold, contemporary Geisha screen print by Constructive Studio adds a funky edge to any interior

3. Tiny cut glass inspired porcelain vases by Shan Annabelle Valla- so cute you'll want to collect them all!

4. Fun, nostalgic with quintessentially English humour, Ruth Martin's rubber stamped paper creations are perfect for all ages

5. Jessica Poole's gold fluted earlaces with diamonds remind me of angels' trumpets. A glamorous festive touch to any evening or party outfit

6.Naomi Ryder's Kirsty Drinks Tea bone china teacup and saucer features beautifully delicate illustrations taken from her embroideries

7. Maya Selway plays with trompe l'oeil with this clever silver Kishu vase that appears to be a simple line drawing. By putting something in it you can customise and complete its silhouette

8. Like the Pam Am series currently airing on the BBC, I predict Petra Bishai's airline matchbook themed Lucifer rings will be a sure hit

 9. Illuminate a living room into a rural and mythical winter wonderland with Lush Designs lampshades

10. Channel Dita Von Teese with these naughty yet classy Holloway Smith Noir vintage lace pasties.