The Director’s Cut: Battersea Autumn 2023
Discover highlights from Affordable Art Fair Battersea (19 – 22 October 2022) as chosen by our Fair Director Hugo Barclay.
Affordable Art Fair
Friday 15 September, 2023
Katharine Morling, The Gift, sculpture, £3,300, Long & Ryle
With our major Battersea Autumn edition just over a month away (19 – 22 October) we caught up with Fair Director Hugo Barclay to share his personal highlights, and the artists he’ll be looking out for at the fair.
Well…where to start? I’m particularly looking forward to our autumn fair in Battersea for many reasons; it’s our third and final London fair of the year, and we have some exciting new initiatives including a beautiful Art Bookshop from Thames & Hudson, a thoughtful new exhibition showcasing abstract artists of the African Diaspora to celebrate Black History Month, alongside our annual Recent Graduates exhibition – this year’s theme is “An Intimate Vocabulary”. Plus, campaign artist Matt Dosa is bringing his signature vibrant designs to brighten our entrance in a special rainbow installation.
But that’s just the start. There will be 1,000s of works on display, from our 112 leading galleries joining us from the UK and around the world. It would be impossible to mention all the amazing artists and galleries at the fair (and very boring for you to read, I imagine!) so here are nine artists who have caught my eye – maybe they’ll inspire you too…
Anuli Croon, Chiefs & Spirits – stand C3
Agathe Bouton, Azart Gallery – stand F5
Anuli Croon is a brand new artist to our London fairs, represented by Chiefs & Spirits gallery in The Netherlands. I like how Anuli uses structure, sharp intentional lines and pattern to create curious figurative compositions that feel truly unique and on-trend.
Azart Gallery (stand F5) are exhibiting for the first time with us in London, bringing a host of exciting artists. Among them is Agathe Bouton – whose work I discovered at our sister fair in New York, and it was one of my standouts! I really like her modern approach to printmaking and her elegant forms.
Andras Ladosci – Recent Graduates 2023 Exhibition “An Intimate Vocabulary”
Supporting emerging artists is at the heart of what we do at Affordable Art Fair. All of the graduate artists in this year’s exhibition show extraordinary promise, so I’m very excited for visitors to see their work. One artist in particular stood out to me – Andras Ladosci is a Hungarian photographer and cinematographer who has just completed an MA at the Royal College of Art. Andras depicts the stillness of life in a raw, and real way. He captures fleeting moments through the lens, then gone forever. Amongst his many accolades, he has worked with Matches Fashion and singer, songwriter and rapper Frank Ocean. Definitely one to watch!
“They make you feel like you’re inside of a novel, with a continued story to discover, unravelling around you. “
Hugo Barclay on the ceramics of Katherine Morling
Katherine Morling, Long & Ryle – stand H1
Another newcomer to the fair is esteemed London gallery Long & Ryle. Look out for the fantastical work of ceramicist Katherine Morling. Her creations transport the viewer, they make you feel like you’re inside of a novel, with a continued story to discover, unravelling around you.
Gaetan de seguin, Galerie Barrou Planquart – stand B8
Kisook Lee, T&B Gallery – stand K4
Hailing from the Occitanie region of France, Gaetan de seguin creates patterned paintings representing a crowd of figures. I find them strangely comforting – the plurality and possibility of a crowd perhaps.
Delicate, yet gestural abstracts, Lee’s artworks draw me in to keep looking deeper. She has an impressively meticulous process of sculpting and shaping to minute detail.
Kisook Lee, A Scenery of Lines, £3,500, Soil and Oriental Painting Korean paper on Canvas, T&B Gallery
Hetty Haxworth, Cameron Contemporary – stand F4
I love Hetty’s organic shapes that echo those found in nature. I have a soft spot for Scottish artists as I’m based in Edinburgh, and I’m attracted to Hetty’s approach to light and how she captures the shifting seasons of the Scottish landscapes in her abstracts.
“His joy for painting clearly comes through in the work, which makes them a joy to look at!”
Hugo Barclay on artist Henry Ward
Henry Ward, Kittoe Contemporary – stand J5
Henry’s work explores the boundary between abstraction and reality. His joy for painting clearly comes through in the work, which makes them a joy to look at!
Catherine Pring, Panter and Hall – stand L1
Last but not least – artist Catherine Pring! Her work is so alive with expression. It tells such a different story depending on the angle you are looking at it – you can see the layers of her process as she developed this painting.
Thanks so much to Fair Director Hugo Barclay for sharing his highlights! All of these artworks and many more will be available to see and purchase at Affordable Art Fair, Battersea Autumn, 19 – 22 October.
Book your tickets today and get planning your visit!
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