The hot list: 7 artists to watch

Here at the Affordable Art Fair, we work with many galleries who represent a myriad of diverse artists; from mid-career painters and established printmakers to renowned photographers and those who are just starting to gain the attention they deserve. Whilst we champion emerging artists through our various on-site schemes, including our Recent Grads show at Battersea’s Autumn edition, and the Made In Arts London (MiAL) stand at Hampstead, our online shop is a great place to discover hot new talent too. So, if you’re hoping to start collecting the next David Hockney, Rachel Whiteread or Anish Kapoor, look no further; we’ve plenty of intriguing, inspiring and innovative artists to start with before they hit the big time. Read more about each artist in their bio, and be sure to follow your favourites so you’ll be notified whenever they have new art to buy online.

1. Ade Adesina 

We’ve fallen in love with Ade Adesina’s thought-provoking large scale linocuts, and chances are you will too. His work serves as a visual commentary on ecological and environmental issues, highlighting the damage caused by deforestation to our wildlife and landscapes. Pandas, bees, flowers and birds pepper his prints; at first glance charming odes to nature, they quickly turn into post-apocalyptic landscapes commenting on the environmental dangers that our ever-changing world faces. Born in Nigeria, Adesina is a full-time printmaker based in Aberdeen, and Artist in Residence at Glasgow Print Studio. Check out more of his work with Jamm Gallery.

2. Clare Johnson

The pulsing, bold forms of Clare Johnson’s graphic prints are a result of a recent move from London to England’s Eastern coast, where the industrial landscapes provides a constant source of inspiration. Her representation of ‘functional forms’, as she calls them, is unique via her blending of the industrial subject matter with a method inspired from hand-tinted postcards. Exhibiting with Printmakers Council, she’s definitely one to watch, already winning prizes at the Eastern Open and completing commissions with London’s National Theatre and the Norfolk Tourist board, to name a few.

3. YZ

Internationally acclaimed French street-artist YZ — pronounced ‘eyes’ — is inspired by the relationship between humanity, authenticity, and urban spaces, Yseult Digan creates her original artworks on kraft paper, before plastering them up around the city walls like posters. As a result, her work has a fleeting, transient quality — susceptible to the whim of those around it, briefly becoming part of the cityscape before fading. In particular, her beautiful series ‘Women from Another Century’ draws together monochrome portraits of famous and unknown women from the past, both nostalgic yet instantly modern due to their physical surroundings and the choice of medium. She’s had work exhibited at the Grand Palais and at Fondation Cartier in Paris. Represented by French Art Studio, browse her nostalgic paintings through our online shop today.

4. Lim Khim Katy

Distinctively contemporary, the unique and beautiful practice of Lim Khim Katy has us transfixed. Successfully managing to imbue the traditional subject-matter of landscape with an innovative twist, via her unusual application of paint and use of colour, Katy has already gained the art world’s attention as the subject of an international solo exhibition in 2006. Based in Ho Chi Minh City and represented by Durlacher Contemporary, Katy takes much of her inspiration from her heritage. Her parents met when taking an art class, she explains; ‘My inheritance includes a love of colour, a familiarity with brushes and an attraction to shapes from the time I first became conscious of the sun and the moon.’ Discover her stunning work online now, to find out more information about her paintings.

5. Elizabeth Magill

Irish painter Elizabeth Magill’s well known practice puts her firmly in the ‘established’ category, but the popularity of her beautiful, brooding landscapes suggests she’s definitely one to keep watching. Since studying at Belfast College of Art and the Slade School of Fine Art, where she consolidated her inventive and versatile practice, she’s had a major show at Bristol’s Arnolfini Gallery. She now continues to exhibit across the UK, often integrating photographic materials into her painted works and lithographs, which she describes as ‘hauntingly distressed paintings of the landscape’. Be sure to check out her timeless work with Manifold Editions at a fair soon, or browse her collection online.

6. Suraj Kumar Kashi

Gaining his MA in fine art at Delhi University, Indian artist Suraj Kumar Kashi began life in the advertising world — evident in his graphic-inspired, vividly coloured works. Causing a stir at the Athens’ Biennale of 2013, Kashi is now represented by The Brown Easel Gallery. Highly symbolic, the dreamlike and saturated world of his work combines modern motifs, such as sports cars, traffic lights and high heels, with wildlife and religious iconography, referencing both the urban world and rural life.Instantly recognisable and totally unique, we’re looking forward to seeing what he does next.

7. Russell West

Russell West’s dripping artworks are three-dimensional jungles of layers, patterns and colours. These works — some taking up to a year to finish — are created by repeatedly building up layers and strips of paint onto pre-arranged wires and pins on board, and then letting gravity do the rest.

Perhaps most amazing is his manipulation of the paint, a skill developed through 25 years of practice. Now based in the Isle of Wight, represented by Fflow Gallery, West spent much of his career travelling through Asia, from the slums of Mumbai to Kowloon in Hong Kong. His work recalls the chaos of life within the Asian metropolis, often reminiscent of ad-hoc structures, densely-packed slums or washing lines.

Main image:
Elizabeth Magill, March, £840, Lithography on paper, Manifold Editions.

Works featured:
Ade Adesina, Wild Awake, £2,600, Ink on paper, Jamm Gallery.
Clare Johnson, Princes Crowns, £395, Archival print on paper, Printmakers Council.
YZ, Woman from another century XII, £1,700, Ink on wood, French Art Studio.
Lim Khim Katy, Sun Up, £4,800, Oil on canvas, Durlacher Contemporary.
Elizabeth Magill, Hinter, £1,080, Lithography on paper, Manifold Editions.
Suraj Kumar Kashi, Zebra in real life, £2,500, Acrylic on canvas, The Brown Easel.
Russell West, Tin Flowers, £1,250, Oil on board, Fflow Gallery.