|
Celebrating excellence and craft heritage, the first Sussex Craft Week kicked off last weekend across East and West Sussex with a glittering ceremony at Newlands House Gallery, Petworth, announcing awards for Sussex’s most prestigious crafts makers.
|
‘The Sussex Craft Awards: The Finalists’ exhibition at Newlands House Gallery.
Photo credit: James Winspear |
|
Twelve Sussex craft makers , most of whom are collected internationally, were selected from public nominations by a panel comprising West Dean College, Newlands House Gallery, The Makers Directory, High Weald Wine Estate and Tutton & Young.
The shortlist comprised: Artist-Maker, Alison Baxte r; Textile Artist, Imogen Bright Moon ; Artist in Wood, Alison Crowther ; Letter Cutter, Fergus Davidson ; Furniture Designer-Artist, Marc Fish ; Ceramicist, Tanya Gomez ; Artist in Wood, Amy Leake ; Chairmaker, Jason Mossieri ; Jeweller, Kathie Murphy ; Artists in Wood, Ash & Plumb ; Artist-Weaver Katharine Swailes ; Basketry Artist, Ruby Taylor. Marc Fish was announced the overall winner of the first Sussex Craft Awards. |
Award winners, from left: Highweald Heritage Craft Prize winner Ruby Taylor, ROSA Prize winners Ash & Plumb, and overall Sussex Craft Awards winner Marc Fish. Photo credit: James Winspear
|
|
Marc Fish creates sculptural pieces that push the limits of contemporary furniture making, blurring the boundaries between design, sculpture and furniture. Fish’s studio is world renowned for the use of veneer as its sole raw material, and his work demonstrates an extensive mastery of the most refined practices in micro stack-lamination. Each piece uses the finest veneers and natural finishes, from gold to squid ink. Initially inspired by the curvilinear forms of Art Nouveau, more recently he has explored the Victorian obsession with natural history. Fish has exhibited worldwide, and created works for international collectors, private clients and interior designers.
“I have a passion for creating one-off pieces, or short series, drawing on my knowledge of craftsmanship and modern design processes. My works possess a timelessness that enables them to sit comfortably in the most contemporary of settings and the more traditional.” |
Furniture by Marc Fish, Sussex Craft Awards winner 2025. H andwoven tapestries by Katharine Swailes, wooden sculpture by Alison Crowther.
Photo credit: James Winspear
|
|
Artist duo, Ash & Plumb were announced as the winners of the ROSA prize . Their wooden vessels are currently on show at the New Craftmaker Gallery in London; and Ruby Taylor was announced the winner of the Highweald Heritage Craft Prize . Ruby’s recent book ‘Wild Basketry’ is currently the No.1 Bestseller in its field on Amazon.
Sussex Craft Week 14-22 June is a new festival designed to celebrate heritage craft, promote contemporary makers and encourage everyone to take up a new craft skill. The festival is organised by ROSA Magazine, the Arts & Culture magazine for Sussex, supported by West Dean College, King & McGaw and The Bell in Ticehurst. The programme has 60 exhibitions, courses and events at over 40 venues across Sussex. A full guide is published in the summer issue @therosamag, available at stockists throughout Sussex or at: rosamagazine.co.uk A free programme is available to download at sussexcraftweek.com An exhibition of the award-winners works ‘Sussex Craft Awards: The Finalists’ continues at Newlands House Gallery until Sunday 22 June. https://newlandshouse.gallery Entrance is free. |
