I have always had a passion for art. I love creating them and I love being surrounded by them.
When I was a little girl, I have always loved drawing whether it’s on the back of a paper napkin at the restaurant or to my parent’s discontent, our lovely white walls around the apartment.
Thankfully, my Mother decided to channel this energy of mine into a proper art class which meant now I have a box full of self portraits and nice pots of flowers paintings I have created at my young tender age of 10.
I have also learned about the value of art collecting from Mr.New Yorker’s uncle and aunt who now own a modern Chinese art gallery in Singapore. It is such an amazing business to travel the world searching for the next emerging artist. They have just recently returned from a trip to Piedmont and Berlin with a new collection. Now that we have settled into our own apartment with Mr. New Yorker, we have decided to invest in a few pieces of our own.
I have discovered Carré d’artistes previously in Paris and London, but unfortunately they have shut the London branch. This lovely venue always showcased artists who are just emerging from art school or turning what was once a side hobby into a full blown career. There is a story behind every piece and every life. That’s what I love so much about visiting this place. I highly recommend it next time you are in Paris to pay this place next to the Sacré-Cœur.
The other great way to find affordable pieces is to visit the various London art fairs being held throughout the year. There are so many, but the ones I like the most are the following:
- Frieze London
- London Original Print Fair
- Affordable Art Fair (both in Battersea and Hampstead)
- London Art Fair
The London Art Fair was the one I have attended recently. It was held in one of the my favourite areas of London, in the heart of Angel, Islington on Upper Street. Next to what was once called the “Supper Street” of London, given its vast array of choices of eateries. No kidding, I was in heaven! Art and good food, what else could you ask for?
I decided that I could probably fit in a little cheeky gym session to burn of the evil week of good food I had the previous week. The perks of being able to share all of my food passion with you lovely readers is that unfortunately my caloric intake is also on the rise as well. After a hard earned session, I decided a hearty Japanese meal is probably a top choice. This little gem is called Tenshi which is a short walk away from the Business and Design Centre where the art fair was being held.
We ordered the lunch bargain meal which is a very large bento box that features salmon and avocado rolls, prawn and vegetable tempura, as well as some tasty Japanese pickles with rice. After a heavy gym session, this was perfect to refuel before checking out the exhibit in the afternoon. Make sure to get the chicken yakitori with plum sauce, it is pretty close to the real thing I had back in Tokyo, especially the plum sauce is finger lickin’ good!
The London Art Fair is a serious affair, as the large exhibit space really caters to all tastes and types of art lovers. Separated into three sections, the ground floor features the traditional artists and styles, which also allows for some surprises. I found a lovely piece from the 1930’s which cleared showed the artist’s contemporary style was way before his time. It could have easily been assumed from an emerging artists from recent decades.
Clearly a thriving market, there were little red dot stickers popping up all over the tags beneath the artworks, some of them even have three or four. It is definitely something that will make the artists cheer about and I’m sure a tough bargain to make for buyers at the moment!
The mezzanine floor showcased more contemporary artworks. There was one piece that really stood out for me, which was titled “neurotic dance”. It is such an accurate depiction of the modern hectic lifestyle, an abstract of what digital devices as well as a faster pace of life is doing to all of us and our loved ones.
On the top level, I have found some more affordable pieces that would cater to a larger crowd. One particular interesting intersection was the collaboration between 3D images, as well as moving images with still art. A 3D TV unit with scrolling artwork across its screen really demonstrated that intersection point. I welcomed the sight of a champagne bar in the middle of the space which of course gave an excuse to sit down after walking around for 3 hours! Times flies in such a space, especially with so much to see.
The art show was definitely a bargain for the ticket entry of £12 (in my case I was able to receive a discount on my ticket through TimeOut). At the full price of £25, I suppose if you are an art lover and don’t mind forking out a little bit extra, it’s still not a bad deal given the amount of international and UK based gallery you will get the chance to meet and see.