June 1, 2016 in art, handmade goodness
After the success of the Line Up show at Flow Gallery in London last year, we were asked by Devon Guild of Craftsmen to expand the original show with additional works and fill their large exhibition space in Bovey Tracey. The exhibition ran in Devon from 16 January until 6 March 2016.
Line Up was an exhibition of contemporary craft, this exhibition explores the relationship between objects; how they combine and interact in styled groups. Read more here.
The artists include a mixture of established designer-makers alongside emerging new talents: Another Country, Theo Adamson, Kyra Crane, Jason Collingwood, Bettina Dittlman, Akiko Hirai, Hyu-jin Jo, Silvia K, Astrid Keller, Sue Lawty, Liz Nilsson, Brook Sigal, Kaori Tatebayashi, Nicola Tassie, Dr Tim Willey, and Derek Wilson alongside my own paintings.
Following my trip to Devon to style the show I took these photos, just before everyone arrived for the private view.
A ‘Guild’ is traditionally a community of tradespeople offering mutual support and networking. The Devon Guild of Craftsmen was founded in 1955 by local furniture-maker Edward Baly and a group of artisans who wanted to share skills and support eachother in their craftmaking. They set up an annual summer exhibition which was held at various locations until Riverside Mill became the HQ.
From an original membership of just 18 the Devon Guild has grown to its current membership of around 240 makers from South West England.
Devon Guild of Craftsmen is a charity and Membership organisation which aims to create as many opportunities as possible for people to enjoy and learn about contemporary craft.
They hold exhibitions at their Riverside Mill galleries, where this is also a cafe and large craft shop, as well as touring shows throughout the country, providing education projects and partnering in the Contemporary Craft Festival – they are dedicated to one mission: inspiring creative excellence through contemporary craft.
Visit their website here.
Many thanks to Devon Guild of Craftsmen for hosting the show.
For general enquiries about Line Up and the works included please contact Flow Gallery.
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May 21, 2016 in interior styling
I styled these photo stories for Elle and Elle Decoration magazines in conjunction with Farrow & Ball paint company. Photographed by the talented Ben Anders.
The stories showcased paint colours and wallpaper for Spring in two interior environments, one with a fashion bias for Elle, featuring Tracey Neuls shoes, the other with a pure interior base for Elle Decoration.
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May 20, 2016 in food styling
Dog gone: Theo Randall’s final meal
What would your last meal be?
Each week in ‘Cook’ The Guardian newspaper’s food supplement, a different top chef is interviewed in a lighthearted look at how they would spend their last meal, what it would be and why…
For these images I selected props and styled to help visualise the last bites of Padma Lakshmi, Arthur Jeffes, Pierre Koffman, Dan Doherty, Tom Kerridge, Theo Randall, Kelis and Tim Hayward.
The animated cinemagraphs are by photographer Emma Lee.
‘The story of the dream changes with each retelling’: Arthur Jeffes’ final meal
French leave: Pierre Koffmann’s final meal
‘I’ve hunted and gathered things from everywhere’: Padma Lakshmi’s final meal
‘By the time I’m done cooking, I just want to order pizza’: Kelis’s final meal
“I’d want someone to make a spiralised courgette salad and then pour it down the waste disposal”: Tim Hayward’s final meal
Seaside send-off: Tom Kerridge’s final meal
Homecoming: Dan Doherty’s final meal
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May 11, 2016 in art, interior styling
As an alumna of Edinburgh College of Art and having worked as a professional textile designer for many years, I had an urge to draw and paint again, a different expression of creativity from my styling. My love of flowers and drawing were combined in a capsule collection of twenty original floral ink drawings that I made available for sale. The drawings are expressive direct studies of flowers, using Indian ink and Chinese brushes on off-white, acid-free 300gsm art paper.
I framed the drawings and styled them at home where photographer Beth Evans captured these images.
Produced in early 2015, each drawing is unique, signed and dated on the front and available for purchase directly from me or through Little Lake Flowers.
UPDATE
All drawings sold out before it was possible to make them available for purchase online.
To be notified about the further release of new drawings for sale please use the contact form.
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April 30, 2016 in inspiring places, my london
Last August I was delighted to be asked design the dinner setting and co-host a very special evening with Jemima Burrill, curator of NOW Gallery at Greenwich Peninsula, to celebrate women in design. The event, that we themed ‘texture’, saw some of the most talented female designers in the UK come together to celebrate and discuss their work, including Sonnet Stanfill, curator at the V&A and Helen Arvanitakis from Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio.
The evening opened with a talk from fashion designer Phoebe English, whose work was was shown in an accompanying exhibition. In conversation with Jemima Burrill she spoke about her journey from student to fashion designer and her love of using traditional ‘forgotten’ crafts.
The dinner was held in the Tom Dixon show apartment at Greenwich Peninsula. I set three long dinner tables with charcoal linens, hand-drawn chalked lines and bespoke place settings using my original ink drawings. I designed the table setting to complement Phoebe English’s exhibition and her largest installation to date.
The evening continued with garden designer Alys Fowler describing her inspiration for the design of the new gardens at Greenwich Peninsula which is rich in texture and flora. We then heard from Helen Arvanitakis from Tom Dixon Studio who spoke about her design concepts and inspiration behind the studio’s work and the products that feature in the show apartment at Greenwich Peninsula. The evening’s last speaker, Sonnet Stanfill gave guests an insight into her role at the V&A as a curator and a buyer of 20th century design for the museum.
The table settings were created from stitched paper place mats, hand painted place name cards, ceramics from Flow Gallery and Yuki Sugiura, candles from Tom Dixon and vases that I wrapped with leather.
I invited one of London’s leading florists Simone Gooch of Fjura to create beautiful floral arrangements.
The event ended with a wonderful night of informal discussion and amazing dinner provided by michelin-starred chef Stevie Parle and his neighbouring restaurant Craft London.
The evening gave women from many design disciplines a rare opportunity to come together to informally discuss their work and the design industry in a relaxed, inspiring environment. It was a wonderful evening enjoyed by all, that stimulated debate and celebrated the wealth of female talent in the UK creating exceptional design.
A very big thank you to all who helped make the evening such a success.
NOW Gallery is a new public exhibition space for contemporary art and design on London’s Greenwich Peninsula. A permanent, free gallery which features work by a programme of unique three-month commissions from established and emerging artists, designers and other creative practitioners. Find out more.
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April 10, 2016 in food styling
These photographs were shot for Open Blue, the world’s leading mariculture farm situated off the coast of Panama. Their premium quality fish are raised in a natural and controlled environment in the world’s largest open ocean farm and supplied to the global restaurant industry.
As prop stylist I sourced backgrounds, surfaces and culinary props to show the beauty and texture of the fish in its raw state and also how it can be prepared and used in raw and cooked dishes. Working with Allies Design Studio, photographer Uli Schade and food stylist Peta O’Brien, we created a series of pure images that let the fish do the talking.
Open Blue Cobia fish are farmed in a sustainable way in farms in the open water in Panama, working in harmony with the ocean and ecosystem, and many experts call it the world’s most sustainable aquaculture operation.
Cobia is a pure, healthy, versatile white fish that is offered in high quality sashimi grade, so can be enjoyed raw or cooked. Its taste is a rich buttery flavor it is uniquely delicious any way you prepare it.
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A place to share my work and the things I love: interior styling and great design; fine art and contemporary craft; exciting new products and flea market finds; handmade and homemade; celebrating the old and embracing the new; creativity, family and fun. The things that I believe make your house a home.
Line Up contemporary craft exhibition, curated by Sania Pell, at Flow Gallery, 1-5 Needham Road
London, W11 2RP.
View Sania's interiors, food and table top and children's lifestyle photographic styling portfolio.
