Inside Masterpiece fair, London 2022
I'm not going to claim to be an expert on Masterpiece fair in London; if you'd like official info and it's background you should probably visit their website or Google it. Instead this post is through the eyes of a keen spectator.
Out of all art exhibitions Masterpiece is definitely on another scale. As I overheard one host from the fine minerals exhibit stand say (yes even minerals fall under the realm of luxury and art, and spectacularly at that) ‘there aren't many places that bring together this level of excellence in one place’.
As the name suggests, Masterpiece brings together, well, masterpieces which are considered to be elevated art forms covering anything from paintings, homeware, books, accessories, jewellery, sculptures, design, interiors to even the odd automobile. It’s definitely…lets say…more refined than some of the other large scale exhibitions. The set up is very grand with wide arches making up the ceiling and pale grey carpet for the flooring. You wouldn't think you were in any kind of exhibition or junkyard but more stepping into multiple little homes owned by aristocrats. And yet despite the grand scale, as my husband put it when we entered ‘I love the vibe in here. It’s very mellow’.
I once went prior to the pandemic back in 2018, and this being my second time. I did create a video for when I went last but for the life of me I can’t find it.
This year the fair was fairly similar to before…but different. It never gets old because some of what’s on display (and available for purchase) is truly spectacular. One of my favourite exhibits is Cindy Chao, Chinese jewellery designer renowned for the high level artistry she brings to jewellery. Her work echoes Michelle Ong and Wallace Chan’s and yet… kind of doesn’t because it is completely different.
Upon arrival they always have a grand sculpture on show. This time I was pleasantly delighted to discover it was by Pakistani-American artist Anila Quayyum Agha. I’ve been meaning to do a separate post on Pakistani artists; it’s really important to me to be able to support artists of my heritage, bring them to the limelight and financially invest in they work.
For now, the below snippets by no means successfully cover the fair, but are very limited excerpts of just some of the details that caught my eye…
Art & Aesthetic
