Pattern & Sequence
From the middle of October Design-Nation presents a series of autumn showcases at our sister gallery, The National Centre for Craft & Design (NCCD). Following the success of last autumn’s Colour & Form glass exhibition, we’re delighted to return to NCCD with a new selling showcase Pattern & Sequence, of beautiful work drawn from our portfolio of over 200 UK-based designer-makers. This year the theme is Pattern & Sequence, and includes ceramics and mosaic, jewellery and metalwork, paper and wire, rugs and textiles for interiors.
All work is available to buy and commission, making this the perfect pre-Christmas shopping experience. In the Roof Gallery the fifteen Design-Nation members exhibiting are rug-weaver Angie Parker, textile designer Anna Gravelle, makers of objets d’art (from paper and found materials) Hannah Lobley and Michaela McMillan, ceramicists Heidi Harrington, Justine Allison, Kate Welton, Katie Lowe and Sam Walker, mosaic artist Julie Vernon, jewellers Kate Bajic and Nobuko Okumura, wire worker Lucy Elisabeth, metalsmith Melissa Montague, and Nicki Jarvis who works in textiles and ceramics.
The artworks on display are decorative, contemporary and show exquisite handmaking skills. Each piece is lovely in its own right, but visitors are invited to consider the power of the series and buy complementary works. A group of vessels on a table or a pair of framed artworks on a wall can add a real statement to a contemporary interior.
Porcelace
In conjunction with Pattern & Sequence, Design-Nation also presents Porcelace, a collaborative project that plays on repeated patterns in unexpected materials, created by lacemaker Jayne Childs and ceramicist Samantha Robinson and on display in the NCCD Project Space. This artistic duo first collaborated on an exhibition project in 2015, playing with repeat pattern in motifs and layout, to create work that effectively fused their knowledge of diverse materials.
For “Pattern & Sequence” the central decorative motif was inspired by a lace design discovered by Jayne in the Nottingham Trent University Lace Archive. This round berry design inspired Jayne to make repeat sequences within an overall lace design, building up complexity in a design that was then literally impressed into Samantha’s damp porcelain, creating a negative embossed in the clay. Their installation also includes lighting features and repeated components, and many elements are available for sale.
Design-Nation Picks: Emerging talent on show
Championing new and emerging talent is at the heart of Design-Nation’s work and each year the organisation is pleased to co-judge the One Year In Development Award at New Designers, the UK’s leading graduate design show. New Designers and Design-Nation share the same founder: design champion extraordinaire the late Peta Levi MBE. And our two organisations are committed to embracing, supporting and promoting emerging designers as they launch their careers.
The exhibition “Design-Nation Picks” features the two 2019 winners of the One Year In, jeweller Zara Schofield and illustrator Katie Putt. Zara creates wearable collages which celebrate her travels and adventures, drawing from her fine art background to make innovative jewellery. Week Two’s winner Katie Putt creates exceptional detailed drawings which combine traditional motifs and nostalgic images in ink and water-colour, and which are then mass produced with a very low carbon footprint to underscore her commitment to sustainable design.
Alongside Zara and Katie’s work we present furniture by Tom Galt of Galt Designs. Tom is an emerging furniture designer and the winner of the inaugural New Talent Award, sponsored by Design-Nation at The Celebration of Craftsmanship & Design exhibition in Cheltenham. This exceptional furniture exhibition is now in its 25th year and also includes selected works from leading artisans in disciplines such as sculpture, jewellery and glass. For the first time in 2019 the exhibition featured work by graduates of a selection of furniture colleges and schools, as a preview of the finest emerging talent within the industry.
Eighteen graduate furniture designer makers were considered for the award. With the exceptionally high standard of craftsmanship and innovative design presented by the graduates judging was difficult. However, the work of Tom Galt stood out, especially his beautiful writing desk, which judges described as ‘immaculately crafted with exquisite hidden details, elegant and contemporary with great poise’.
Pattern & Sequence / Porcelace / Design-Nation Picks
NCCD, Sleaford, Lincs NG34 7TW 10am to 5pm, every day except 25 December and 1 January
19 October 2019 – 5 January 2020
