London is back, baby! The city's art galleries are now open and its first in-person art fair this year just happened this weekend with the opening of The Other Art Fair. The fair has multiple locations around the world and offers virtual access to collectors who cannot visit in person. This year's London location champions over 100 inspiring emerging artists, and it's guaranteed to satisfy collectors with its wide range of budget and style. I visited the fair, and below I've highlighted the artists that grabbed my attention and which you should have on your radar.
Phoebe Boddy, (b. 1995, UK)
The fresh essence captured in Phoebe's paintings is what captivated me and invited me to keep starring at them a little longer. The piece above, When Lemons give you Life, depicts energized brushstrokes of coral, yellow, and orange, creating a summer feel perfect for the black outlined lemon still life and childlike black letters that spell out the title of the painting at the lower half of the canvas. When I spoke to the artist, I learned that her practice is "stimulated by food and flavor, and she uses painting process to explore the connection between the two creative fields of food and art." Phoebe has a Bachelor's in Fine Arts from Loughborough University and has exhibited in the UK.
Pippa Hale-Lynch (b. 1992, UK)
An architect by training, Pippa is a realism artist working primarily with oils, charcoal, and, more recently, digital drawings. Her current series captures figures in moments of solitude floating above water. Seeing her artwork in person and being able to see all the details was breathtaking! She has exhibited in the UK and Australia, and in 2020 she had an honorable mention in the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize. One of her works is part of The Peregrine Collection, a diverse collection of contemporary works by female artists assembled to launch into space by the end of this year. Pretty cool, right?!
Sophia Oshodin
Sophia is a self-taught contemporary figurative storytelling painter based in London. Her work is centered around scenes of domestic interactions as seen in the painting above with two female figures reading a book titled, 2020 True Horror Stories. She draws inspiration from African art and culture and has had several group exhibitions in London.
Kay Gasei
Kay is a London-based mixed-media artist whose large scale artwork of two figures all in black with their right arm raised in the air with a clenched hand, and a horse wearing a mask was grabbing everyone's attention that walked by. Kay's art captures the zeitgeist in an intriguing and captivating way by depicting black lives matter symbolism.
Simona Ruscheva (b. Bulgaria)
Simona is a figurative painter based in London. Her work is centered around mythological themes and universal symbols. Influenced by her Bulgarian culture, she paints traditional embroidery, pottery designs, and folklore garments on her figures who all pose with stoic faces and powerful gazes. In a globalized world where cultures tend to fade, Simona's artwork is doing a great job at preserving her Bulgarian heritage, one which I remain greatly ignorant about but now want to learn more after viewing the artist's work. Simona graduated in Fine Art Painting from Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria and has had exhibitions in London and Bulgaria.
Ben Wakeling (b.1985, UK)
Expressive art full of emotions and raw talent, that is what came to mind when viewing Ben's art for the first time. The powerful charcoal lines freely-scribbled with bold colors on mostly tan and white canvases are provocative and fascinating. The abstract expressionist works lure the viewer to explore more of the canvas and once you read the canvas you are left with strong emotions.
Ben is a guest ‘Arts in Health’ lecturer for psychology dept at UWE, founder of Outsider Gallery and Hackney Wick Life Drawing and he is also an art therapist for the NHS MHT North London Forensic Service, since 2016.
Chloe McCarrick (b. UK)
Each Chloe McCarrick cyanotype is an original, one-of-its-kind creation. These blue beauties are developed on handmade paper from hand-cut collages, photographic portraiture, photograms and contact prints of natural forms and found objects. Female empowerment, natural history and science are recurring themes across the work, constructing visual narratives from the lives of extraordinary, trailblazing women - celebrating their achievements, uncovering their struggles and telling the stories of these often unsung heroes.
Chloe McCarrick regularly exhibits internationally, appearing at the prestigious Salon De Beaux Arts in Paris, The Affordable Art Fair in London and New York, and The Other Art Fair, curated by Saatchi Art, in London and Los Angeles.
Justine Johnson (b.USA)
"I make my own non-toxic fermentation indigo vats using a centuries old formula, plant dyes and pigments from the Earth on washi, wool, silk and contrast this with industrial materials- cast iron, steel, concrete. This engages me in a dialogue that creates a deeper connectedness to being.The tension of light, ephemeral and heavy dark industry produces a emotional experience."
Justine has exhibited throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Drama/Costume Design from San Francisco State University, another bachelor's in Arts Sculpture from West Wales School of Art, University of Wales, and a Master of Fine Arts, Middlesex University London, UK. She was an Apprentice to Master Artist Hiroshi Hashida to learn the Shibori Yuzen Techniques from Osaka, Japan.
Emma Loizides
London-based self-taught artist Emma creates Candy-colored street scenes and energetic urban landscapes. Emma has had solo and group exhibitions in London in places such as the Society of Women Artists, The NOA at the Royal College of Arts, and the ING Discerning Eye exhibition in the Mall Galleries.
If you were not able to make it to the fair because you are not in London, but would love to check the artists and works available then I suggest you visit the Virtual Edition available from 6-11 July. With locations in London, Los Angeles, Dallas, Brooklyn, Chicago, Toronto, Sydney and Melbourne, this art fair gives collectors a plethora of artists to discover from around the globe! I hope you enjoyed my top picks and get a chance to fall in love with new artworks.