Fairs
The Director’s Cut: Hampstead 2023
Ahead of Affordable Art Fair Hampstead, 11 – 14 May 2023, we caught up with Fair Director Hugo Barclay to find out his must-see artists and galleries! Find all this and more at the fair with 100 leading galleries from all over the world, showcasing art in all styles and mediums.
Hugo Barclay
Tuesday 18 April, 2023
With just a few weeks to go until the 11th edition of Affordable Art Fair Hampstead (11 – 14 May), we asked Fair Director Hugo Barclay to take us through some of his personal highlight artists and galleries. Over to you, Hugo!
I’m so excited to be back on the Heath this spring/summer for what promises to be a magical fair. There are always a few extra considerations to think about with Hampstead – not least because our venue is a 5,300sqm custom built marquee! It will be popping up on the Heath very soon, so if you’re local you might spy our signature pink gable end through the trees…
With so much going on, it’s a welcome treat to sit down and mill over the amazing artists on show from our roster of 100 leading contemporary galleries. It’s impossible to cover everything in one article, but read on for some of the artists who caught my eye when prepping for Hampstead 2023…
François du Plessis, Chiefs & Spirits gallery (stand F1)
A great place to start: François du Plessis is the star of our Hampstead advertising campaign, so you may see his artwork popping up all over London. Originally from South Africa, François du Plessis creates incredible sculptures made from found books, inspired by natural forms (do you notice they sort of resemble tree stumps?). He’ll be showcasing a brand new series of works created specially for the Hampstead Fair, not to be missed. While you’re at Chiefs & Spirits (stand F1), you’ll spot a host of vivid sculptural works from their impressive artist roster, which are truly unique!
Felicity Gill, represented by Cameron Contemporary Art (stand G6)
Felicity is a figurative artist and portrait painter from Kent, represented by Cameron Contemporary Art. Her latest work draws on both classical and cutting edge portraiture to create captivating portraits that intrigue and draw in the viewer. She has exhibited with the Royal Academy, Turner Contemporary, The Royal Society of Portrait Painters as well as many solo and group shows – so she’s definitely one to check out!
Amanda Harman, Lucinda Dalton Gallery (stand G5)
We could all use more moments of stillness in today’s busy world, and when I came across Amanda’s work, that’s exactly what it evoked for me. Amanda is a photographer based in South West England, who has a unique relationship to the natural world. Of her practice, she says: “By observing a place for months, and often years, I seek to reveal the unseen and the insignificant, and by quiet observation, elevate the beauty of ordinary and overlooked places.”
Candela Muniozguren, Bea Villamarín Gallery (stand E6)
Spanish gallery Bea Villamarín are joining us for the first time at Hampstead, and I’m really excited to see their roster of artists (having lived in Spain, you might say I have a penchant for Spanish style). Particularly the work of Candela Muniozguren; a talented sculptor based in Madrid, who is pushing the boundaries of geometry and gravity. Candela creates unique, architecturally inspired sculptures out of steel, that are as much about the tangible material you see as well as the negative space you don’t.
Rupert Whale, Brook Street Gallery (stand H2)
Brook Street have a fantastic roster of artists, including Rupert Whale, a London based painter who employs a range of techniques to represent pictorial space. His particular emphasis is on the dual nature of painting as both a two-dimensional flat surface and an illusory object – implying depth, evoking emotion and creating narrative.
Fion Hung Ching-Yan, Made in Arts London Showcase (opposite stand F8)
Supporting emerging artists is a huge part of what we do at Affordable Art Fair, and something I am very passionate about. I’m really excited to see all the student and graduate artists represented by Made in Arts London at our Hampstead Fair, which will feature work from exciting artists across the University of the Arts (UAL)’s six colleges and institutes. I’m particularly interested in Fion Hung Ching-Yan, a recent graduate of the London School of Communication, whose photography work The Skeletons in the Closet, explores Ching-Yan’s emotional reflections on her ongoing family conflicts, referencing a set of Chinese folktales called 24 Paragons of Filial Piety, which Fion has reinterpreted to fit her own family’s story.
David Bellingham – Installation Artist
Last but certainly not least – we have teamed up with artist David Bellingham for a programme of interventions and installations especially created for Hampstead, called Everyone Play Together. David Bellingham’s work uses text and objects to make thought-provoking pieces. My particular interest in his work is the way he approaches meaning; he uses language and combinations of words and timing, and uses humour to ground us in the present and remind us that there is more to objects, place, colour, and ultimately to life, than what’s on the surface. His collection for Affordable Art Fair Hampstead features a range of new and recent works sprinkled around the fair – which may stop you in your tracks and make you ponder!
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, Hampstead 11 – 14 May.
Book online today to secure your visit!