Battersea Autumn: Exploring Materiality

While paintings will always be a popular choice for both artists and collectors, more and more artists are experimenting with materials that push the boundaries of convention. Enter… our Exploring Materiality Route Guide, where we showcase some of the highlight artworks at Affordable Art Fair Battersea Autumn that are made from unusual and beautiful materials, with a curated route through the fair. Let’s go!

1. Byard Gallery, Stand A5 

To begin your journey, enter the fair and head left, making your first stop at Byard Art (stand A5). Here, you’ll discover Emma Taylor’s remarkable sculptures made from repurposed, second-hand books. Emma’s connection with nature shines through in her work – she breathes life into the ideas and stories, sculpting intricate forms directly from the pages!

2. Pigment Gallery, Stand C2 

Next swing a right and loop back to Pigment Gallery (C2), who will be representing a roster of fantastic artists from Spain, including multidisciplinary artist Penélope Clot.

Clot draws her inspiration from the natural world – absorbing shapes, colours, and textures to later record the impressions in her studio.

3. Spence Gallery, Stand D7 

Now, head across the aisle to Spence Gallery (D7) and immerse yourself in colourful embroidered artworks by Costa Rican artist, Michelle Marin. Michelle’s breaks free from convention – she uses her canvas as a playground to modernise traditional techniques, exploring the boundless possibilities of yarn, thread, fabric, clay, and paint.

4. AITY gallery, Stand E8  

As you reach the end of the row, turn right and make your way to AITY Gallery (E8), where you’ll discover Jo Roets’ remarkable light relief sculptures, made from air-drying clay.

Jo creates spontaneous warping effects using unconventional tools like toothpicks and needles, to add indents, holes, and incisions to the damp surface. Her creative challenge lies in pushing the clay to its limits, encouraging spontaneous warping effects, each one different from the last. 

At AITY Gallery you’ll also discover South African artist Lerato Motau, who defines her art-making practice as ‘Fibre Art’. Using predominantly fabrics; embroidery and stitching are significant parts of Motaung’s work. More recently, she’s introduced found circular objects (like metal earrings) and patterned fabrics into her artworks. The decision to collect and include them is informed by their aesthetic qualities.

5. Linda Blackstone Gallery, Stand E2 

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6. Alida Anderson Art Projects, Stand H3  

Now walk toward the central bar (a perfect opportunity to indulge in a refreshing tipple!), and head to Alida Anderson Art Projects (H3), where you’ll find artwork by mixed media artist, Kathleen Hope.

Kathleen celebrates the inherent beauty found in the unintentional, creating pieces that are striking and emotionally resonant. Her chosen medium, cement, possesses an organic and industrial beauty, and what’s truly remarkable is that she has even developed her own cement mixes, each serving a distinct purpose! Through skillful combinations of dried pigment, paper, plaster, and marble dust, she creates a beautiful textured effect. Kathleen then enhances depth by applying colours using stains, inks, acids, pigments, and acrylics.

Galerie Neuland, Stand K3 

Our final stop is Galerie Neuland (K3), where you’ll encounter an impressive collection of unique wooden sculptures by Egon Digon, whose mastery of traditional wood carving techniques shines through in his distinctive style!

Each sculpture begins as a solid block of wood which he meticulously crafts by hand – perhaps surprising as the final artworks boast a surface texture resembling the softness of rubber! The material appears to squeeze out of its original form, creating lines and bulges. His artwork serves as a symbol for our time, where we often feel confined within systems. Digon expresses freedom through disruptive actions that break patterns and embrace irregularity, ultimately conveying a positive message of hope for liberation from constraints. 

Thanks for reading our Materiality Route Guide. We hope you had fun learning about the huge variety of mediums used to create artworks on display at Affordable Art Fair Battersea Autumn, and that you’ve found inspiration for a new piece for your collection. Happy art hunting!