Charleston

The gardens at Charleston

This photo sums up my visit to the Charleston festival last week: bright, vibrant and inspiring - a true celebration of creativity in all its forms. I loved exploring Charleston itself: the gardens that were in full bloom, the iconic country house of painters Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, the gallery spaces and other buildings. And what a treat to then sit down to two fascinating talks, one about the future of AI and one looking at the social, political and cultural shockwaves that defined Britain between 1962 and 1965. The inspiration for the second discussion was David Kynaston’s latest book, which focuses on this era, and he was joined by writers Margaret Drabble and Nick Hornby and by actor Helena Bonham Carter. For me, the most fascinating part was hearing Margaret Drabble talk about life as a young female writer in the early 60s - and how radical it was for a woman at that time to be forging the kind of creative path she was forging.

Barbican conservatory

I absolutely love the conservatory at the Barbican - it’s a retro haven and I find it a calming, relaxing space to be in. There’s a rather wonderful new site-specific commission in the space at the moment by Indian sculptor Ranjani Shettar called ‘Cloud songs on the horizon’, which features hanging sculptures made from wood, stainless steel, muslin and lacquer and crafted using traditional Indian craft techniques. Well worth a visit.

Tim Hethertington

On 20 April, IWM London opened a major exhibition on the life and work of conflict photographer Tim Hetherington. Storyteller – which opened to coincide with the anniversary of Hetherington’s death while covering the Libyan Civil War in 2011 – was described by The Evening Standard as ‘the most important exhibition you’ll see this year’. Hetherington is very well known and loved in the photography world, but he’s not so well known to the general public, which is why this exhibition has been mounted.

© IWM

Hetherington’s approach to conflict photography was unconventional: while other photojournalists spend just weeks in war zones before moving on to the next story, Hetherington - who was awarded four World Press Photo awards and nominated for an Academy Award - took a long term approach to projects, creating work with a profoundly human focus thanks to the deep connections he developed with people over a long period of time. The PR campaign has been a particularly unusual one; I’ve been struck by how many journalists are still profoundly affected by his death, keen to honour and remember his creativity and legacy 13 years on:

The Guardian, The Big Issue, The Times, FT Magazine.

Ukraine: Photographs from the Frontline

As we approach the anniversary of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, it feels fitting to talk a little about a small but monumentally important exhibition at IWM London, which I’ve been working on for the past couple of months.

Ukraine: Photographs from the Frontline brings together 17 extraordinarily powerful and moving photographs by the talented photojournalist Anastasia Taylor-Lind. She’s been capturing the lives of ordinary citizens in Ukraine since the protests of 2014. In the eight years since then, she’s continued to document the reality of displacement and the pain of separation of loved ones that’s happened as a result of the war. Anastasia explained to me recently that she wants her photographs to feel as relevant to someone living in Hackney as to someone living in Kyiv, and for them to be seen by as many people as possible.

Ukraine: Photographs from the Frontline at IWM London

Ikaria and life in the Blue Zone

'...here in Ikaria, we do not try to add years to our life. Instead we add life to our years. We make the most of every day.'

Earlier this month I treated myself to a new book about the very special Greek Island of Ikaria by Meni Valle.

I have been fascinated by Ikaria for years. The island is part of the Blue Zone and is known worldwide for its inhabitants’ longevity -  thanks mainly to the plant-based diet on the island, and a simple and happy way of life.

The book is beautifully crafted and really uplifting - full of wonderful images, recipes and stories about the Ikarian community and its traditions.

I find it so inspiring to learn more about Ikaria, especially while navigating life in London during the pandemic. I dream of the day when I can visit the island for myself, but in the meantime I will try and be a bit more Ikarian in my approach to life.

British Ceramics Biennial

British Ceramics Biennial 2019 at the China Hall of the original Spode factory, Stoke-on-Trent, Cast of Thousands installation by the school children of Stoke-on-Trent, photo Jenny Harper.

I never imagined that I would fall in love with Stoke-on-Trent, but after 10 years of travelling up there for my work on the British Ceramics Biennial, that’s exactly what’s happened!

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the British Ceramics Biennial - an amazing international ceramics festival, plus an ongoing programme of clay-based work in the city. There is so much to see in this year’s festival, which runs until 13 October - such as exhibitions and installations in the post-industrial former Spode factory site, soundscapes in the iconic Middleport Pottery, a performance pottery piece at World of Wedgwood and a brilliant exhibition of contemporary flat back ornaments at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery. It’s so worth a visit and makes for a very special day out.

One BCB project that has really captured people’s imagination is called ‘Cast of Thousands’. Dotted all over the city are thousands of terracotta figures made by school children in Stoke-on-Trent. The aim is for every schoolchild in the city to create a figure. Totally brilliant.

Brown Betty

I have just bought a re-imagined Brown Betty teapot designed by the very talented Ian McIntyre. The Brown Betty is the archetypal teapot and one of Britain’s most familiar, everyday - and yet strangely uncelebrated - pieces of design. Ian has spent years researching its history and evolution and has come up with a re-engineered version that embodies and progresses the best DNA from the original, lifting this overlooked item into the 21st century.

The finished teapot has been made in Stoke-on-Trent (where it originated) in collaboration with Cauldon Ceramics using the same Etruria Marl red clay and Rockingham dark treacle glaze used in the original pots. Ian has even perfected the elusive non-drip spout, which makes the ritual of drinking tea all the more glorious. 

Under An Equal Sky

For the past few months I've been working with some extraordinary artists, Philip Baldwin and Monica Guggisberg. They work predominantly in glass and in May opened an exhibition of large-scale installations throughout Canterbury Cathedral called 'Under an Equal Sky'. Each of the works has been created in dialogue with the building and the start of the show is pictured here. It's called 'Boat of Remembrance' and has been created from 100 glass amphorae that have been suspended in the Cathedral Nave in the shape of a ship. A truly breathtaking, moving and beautifully crafted piece of work. The exhibition continues until 6 January 2019.  

Fire

A car caught fire near my house recently. The car was destroyed, inevitably, and the flames from the fire damaged a few nearby things such as this fence. I have to say that the charcoal effect is rather beautiful - amazing patterns and textures and it almost looks like pewter.

Pattern Crazy

I visited the Fashion and Textile Museum's Orla Kiely exhibition. It's a wonderful celebration of pattern, colour and a fascinating and varied career. 

Suspended

I went on a site visit to Canterbury Cathedral recently; one of my clients, the artists Baldwin & Guggisberg, will be staging an exhibition of installations there at the end of May. As I walked into the building, the first thing I saw was an incredibly moving installation by war artist Arabella Dorman called 'Suspended'. It has been created from hundreds of items of refugee clothing found on the beaches of Lesbos. 

Underground Art

It's always a total delight to see these Eduardo Paolozzi mosaics at Tottenham Court Road. I'm so pleased they were so beautifully preserved when the station got a re-vamp.

The Herdwick Stool

This is a cool collaboration. Selvedge magazine have brought together furniture designer and manufacturer, ercol and a start-up called Solidwool (the clue’s in the name) to create a new product – the Herdwick Stool.  This uses one of ercol’s most iconic creations, the Svelto stool, as a starting point with a solid seat created from bio-resin combined with the fleece of Herdwick sheep (the iconic breed of the Lake District).  Such an innovative new product, one that highlights the importance of finding new materials that connect to British heritage.

Folk

These wonderful, whimsical, folk-inspired characters have been created by an artist called Megan Ivy Griffiths. They have been made with such care, attention to detail and skill. I particularly love the lion pictured below. Handsome fellow.

The Rodd

Last week I took some journalists to The Rodd in Herefordshire – home of the Sidney Nolan Trust - for a sneak preview of Sidney Nolan’s studio before it opened to the public for the first time. When Nolan died in 1992, his wife Mary simply covered the benches in plastic and the space has been undisturbed ever since. The studio is an extraordinary record of his use of materials and processes and one can spend a long time in there looking at all the fascinating bits and pieces.

The Rodd is a magical place, it was my second visit and I once again came away feeling completely inspired and revived! This photo shows Nolan’s favourite view. Apparently he would walk up to this spot every morning with a cup of coffee and spend some time taking it in. What a way to start each day.

Studio image courtesy of Alex Ramsay and the Sidney Nolan Trust

Lucienne Day 100

2017 seems to be a good year for creative centenary celebrations and I’ve been really enjoying following the Lucienne Day 100 activities. For the centenary campaign the Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation has been gathering a really lovely online collection of people’s favourite Lucienne Day designs - from curtains, carpets and dresses to table linen and hand-stitched silk mosaics. What a wonderful way to get people involved in the celebrations and to highlight the relevance of great design in everyday lives. 

I'm ashamed to admit that I don’t yet own any of Lucienne Day's designs, but I do rather love this tea towel design from 1959, which has been reissued by design shop twentytwentyone to mark the centenary year.

Images courtesy of the Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation

Grayson Perry

Collect, the Crafts Council’s international art fair for contemporary objects, opened last week with a fresh and vibrant new look. There were some extraordinary things on show, including these cut porcelain objects by Zemer Peled. One of the fair highlights was a display of Grayson Perry’s ‘The Essex House Tapestries’, which capture scenes from the life of Perry’s fictional character, Julie Cope. They’re incredibly vibrant, moving and humorous. 

Love Is The Answer...

It's London Art Fair again! I can't believe how quickly a year passes. I've been working with The Cynthia Corbett Gallery over the past few months and they show regularly at the fair. This year one of their highlights is a new work by Pop Artist Deborah Azzopardi called 'Love is the Answer...' It's a portrait of Amy Winehouse, which her parents asked Deborah to paint to help raise funds for the Amy Winehouse Foundation. It references Deborah's most iconic work, Sshh.

Image courtesy of The Cynthia Corbett Gallery, photograph by Cristina Schek

Yoko

I recently discovered the work of a designer called Rachel Powell. I love the characters she’s created for her products, particularly Yoko, pictured below. Yoko’s smiling face can be found on screen prints, plates and even cushions.

www.rachelpowell.com

Christmas Textiles

My last task of 2016 was a particularly enjoyable one: I took the Founder of Selvedge magazine, Polly Leonard to Woman’s Hour for an interview with Jenni Murray about the heritage of some of our favourite Christmas textile traditions. Polly talked about the origins of the Santa suit, stockings and ribbons – and even gave the Woman's Hour listeners instructions for making a bespoke Christmas tree fairy.