Collect brings a talent pool of makers to Somerset House for its 19th edition.

From 3rd to the 5th of March, Collect – the leading authority on collectable contemporary craft and design, announces its return to Somerset House as a hybrid fair for its visitors.

At a time when contemporary craft has never been more sought after, Collect is an exceptional opportunity to acquire new, museum-quality work from living artists across the globe. A line-up of of plus 40 specialist galleries from across the globe for Collect have been formulated by the fair’s organisers - the Crafts Council, representing over 400 artist makers at the top of their game, selected by an expert advisory panel.

Within the historic setting of Somerset House, this grade I architectural marvel provides the stunning backdrop for displaying contemporary craft in a fully immersive interiors setting.

Complementing the physical fair in London, which attracted over 9,100 visitors in 2022, all works will additionally be available to view and purchase online via Artsy.net from 1 to 12 March 2023. Artsy.net cites Collect as one of its most successful virtual fairs.

Collectors, interior designers, art advisors and enthusiasts will all be vying with arts institutions such as the Victoria & Albert Museum to buy and commission contemporary craft across disciplines and materials. These include; ceramics, glass, lacquer, furniture, art jewellery, metalwork, textile and fibre, wood and paper. Also including pieces embracing non-traditional materials such as resin and plastics - as well as reused, repurposed, recycled materials.

Collect focuses on exclusivity, reputation, rich narrative and thoughtful curation - seeking variety and diversity in its content and vision. The fair provides an unparalleled opportunity for collectors to purchase pieces made in the last five years, and which are often created especially for the fair.

Alongside international galleries, Collect Open - the fair’s platform for pioneering and thought provoking craft installations by individual artists and collectives, returns with 14 exciting projects by artists hailing from the USA, Poland, and all over the UK, including Northern Ireland.

Fair director, Isobel Dennis comments: “For the past 19 years, Collect has reinforced its pivotal position as the authority for contemporary craft and design. The increasingly diverse range of galleries and artistic voices featured at this year’s fair will make the show richer in content and discovery than ever before.”

Adding to the hybrid nature of the fair, the Collect talks programme will be live-streamed and brings together international voices to celebrate craft, explore contemporary issues and inspire audiences. The talks programme will be announced in due course and available to view on the Fair’s website.

Collect welcomes a number of new galleries for the collector, which will offer a fresh perspective on artistry in making, alongside a dynamic and diverse roster of established gallerists nurturing emerging talent. These include; BR Gallery in China, the first contemporary gallery in China entirely focused on metalwork including vessel, exquisite art jewellery, object and installations. BR Gallery showcase artist, Yu Zhang - whose work aims to highlight dying minority traditions of the Dai culture.

The Siat Gallery in South Korea is curating for Collect a presentation entitled "Kyeol: Beyond Fine and Rough" with all new artists, introducing some stunning jewellers to the fair. Additionally, the Charles Burnand Gallery in England is bringing three fresh newcomers hot out of the Royal College of Art; Noa Chernichovsky, Inger Heeschen and Binghui Song, along with highly acclaimed artist in glass, Fredrik Nielsen and furniture designer Reynold Rodriguez.

The line of artists at this year’s features strong representation of artists from Africa and African diaspora. New to Collect, the french gallery Galerie REVEL brings a roster of artists including Ghanaian / British metalsmith, Francisca Onumah and Nigerian textile artist, Samuel Nnorom. Samual’s work explores Okirika clothes and Ankara fabric, using bubble techniques as sculptural media, Samual interrogates human experiences that relate to consumption, the environment and social, political and economic issues. Zimbabwean ceramicist, Xanthe Somers’s reimagines functional domestic objects into oversized, bright and large sculptures.

There is a welcome return of London-based gallery, 50 Golborne - a space devoted to representing artists from the African continent and its diaspora sees furniture from Senegalese Balla Niang in ebony wood. Bisila Noha, a Spanish/Equatorial Guinean ceramicist, is showing with Thrown and explores her African roots through material and form. Two of her works were acquired by Victoria & Albert Museum at Collect 2022.

Ghanaian Jeweller, Emefa Cole is showing with Goldsmiths’ Fair and has recently been appointed as the inaugural curator of jewellery, diaspora at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Ghanaian glass craftsman, Anthony Amoako-Attah debuted at Collect in 2022 and is represented by Bullseye Projects. He is designing a new range of travel bag forms entitled ‘Take Me Home’ in glass made to resemble traditional Kente designs and Adinkra symbols from Ghana.

Collect is seeing the return of several East Asian galleries since the pandemic, including Hong Kong based, The Gallery by SOIL that specialise in the ancient art of lacquer, as well as a cluster of galleries from South Korea such as; Gallery Sklo, Siat Gallery, Icheon Ceramic by Han Collection and Lloyd Choi Gallery - all important contributors to the 'K Wave' in London.

There are several Korean artists showing with international galleries too; including jeweller, Yeena Yoon from Goldsmiths’ Fair, glass artists, Moon Ju Suh from Craft Scotland, Sogon Kim from North Lands Creative and Keeryong Choi from Bullseye Projects.

Building on the successes of East Asian ceramics in previous years, Collect sees much more glass at the fair now and for next year the fair will have a selection of Japanese, Chinese and Korean artists from the ‘Expanding Horizons’ exhibit at International Festival of Glass.

To learn more about Collect and book your tickets, click here.