Bangladeshi Film Posters

These posters appeared as part of the Oitij-jo Festival on the South Bank earlier this year, celebrating art, culture, craft and music from Bangladesh.

They were huge, billboard size hand painted replicas of film posters, created by Sitesh Kumar Sur.
The posters were commissioned by photographer Shahidul Alam for a project where he took portraits of ageing film stars using these as the backdrops;  they depicted movies they were once famous for starring in. It was his response to the declining Bangladeshi film industry, Dhallywood (in reference to the capital city Dhaka). 

The artist Sitesh has been painting professionally since 1985 - it takes him and his team two days to complete a film poster and he paints them to commission.

I love them, though sadly the creation of posters in this way is a dying artform.
I just hope Sitesh is still going by the time I have saved up enough for him to paint one for me!

Street Style at the High Tea Tweed Wool House Closing Party

'It's the most fun you can have with your clothes on.'

These were the opening words of Guy from Dashing Tweeds who addressed a room full of tweed clad guests at a special High Tea Tweed Party to mark the closing of the Wool House exhibition that's been organised by the Campaign For Wool, held at Somerset House for the last 12 days.
High Tea?

Well....there were yummy sandwiches...I re-discovered my love for cress...

and not just any old macaroon...typically tweed coloured macaroons in brown, beige and green.

So, who was in attendance? A room full of tweed fans!
This colourful couple co-ordinated so well. The gentleman confessed that although he was wearing a great tweed jacket, he has quite a collection at home and had wished he had opted for a different one while the lovely lady with him got her tweed jacket yesterday in a charity shop. It's lucky she did: there was a very strict dress policy....no tweed: no entry.

 

This is how you do tweed infused country chic in the city. Great cap.

I also had the pleasure of meeting David Evans aka Grey Fox who is on a mission to discover fashion and style for older men. He's fascinated by how they choose to dress and blogs about the subject. He also photographed me and my Harris Tweed bag. In fact you can see more photos on his blog of the party here.

I love the very different style of these jackets..but both are tweed. The lady on the right was wearing amazing tweed shorts too and had a toddler with her who was wearing a really cute tweed baby dress.

Now here's the kind of smart and happy chap I wish I could see more often. Dapper from head to toe.

A classic tweed two piece with a pleated skirt, this is the kind of Sunday best look that more women should strive for.

Here's a man who knows a thing or two about tweed and style. He's one of the proprieters of Earl of Bedlam, a South London based fashion label that create bespoke tailoring and screen prints.

95% of the room (100 people) had the usual brown themed tweeds on..but not this girl on the right! She had a fab, blue tweed jacket with gorgeous tartan lining.

This lady slipped into my photos...I'm not sure what tweed she was wearing but she had fab glasses on.

Showing that tweed is not just about smart suits, this fashionista opted for a tweed mini skirt teamed with a wonderful crocheted cape she found for 50 cents in a charity shop. Bargain alert!

Matt Ponting, grandson of Kenneth Ponting, a famous woollen mill owner and writer is photographed here with  bottle of finest tweed whisky, the tipple of the party. Ken wrote numerous books about textiles including Sheep of The World. And an interesting fact about Matt's very smart tweed jacket, he found it on the pavement. It was laid out in front of him one day as he walked passed (not dropped, someone had arranged it beautffully making it look inviting), he tried it on and it fit perfectly so he gave it a home. As you do.

It was also a real pleasure to meet tweed super fan Nina Head. Nina embraces tweed in her every day life and believes more people should wear it, especially city workers. She customised her tweed jacket with some gorgeous animal brooches made from tweed....one of which (the very happy cat I'm wearing) she gave to me as a gift.

They are handmade by Andrew Duncan Graham who sells them on Thursdays and Fridays in Spitalfields Market London. Look out for them if you are passing that way. It's an easy way to incorporate tweed into your life if you don't think you can wear a whole garment.

I didn't manage to photograph Nadia's yellow tweed trousers so here's another picture of her with her tweed cap and bear.

In Guy's speech he talked about the fun associated with wearing tweed, how he discovered it and how he and designer/weaver Kirsty have launched their own modern tweed label, suitable for the urban city dweller - changing the notion that tweed is a rural tradition. 

Check out some of their modern tweed cloths on their website.

On show at Wool House was one of Guy's ideas - creating cycling wear made from tweed, and even tweed with reflective yarns.

Elsewhere in the house, I particularly liked this reconstruction of a Saville Row tailor's shop, you can see the tweed sample books at the front which gentlemen flicked through to choose the type they want for their suits.

Or if you can't afford an entire bespoke suit you could opt for an accessory like tweed headphones by Conran.

How amazing are these boots by Vivienne Westwood? They were definately made for walking in. Not sure if they are strictly tweed but they are patchwork so may have had a tweed patch on them. Regardless, they deserved a mention.

Now this is my kind of tweed. Sadly it doesn't show up well in my photo but there were three samples of shimmering, sparkling blingtastic tweeds encrusted with Swarovski crystals by Dashing Tweeds. Just what we need for the current arctic climate we're in. The good news is Dashing Tweeds sell remnants and offcuts of their tweed ... maybe I could get a bit and make something super special like a DIY Couture cloak?

After High Tea - which was the perfect way to spend a Sunday; meeting tweed fans whilst taking tea, I had a chance to look around the rest of the incredible exhibition:

The best I've seen in a while. I particularly loved how it was about wool but not knitting. 
This was wool in all it's forms, with infinate uses.

There were some gorgeous interiors installations showing how wool can be used as an interiors fabric.
Well it was a wool house...

This HUGE room was designed by Kit Kemp MBE who is Design Director at Firmdale Hotels.

My favourite however was this felt wall by Anne Kyyro-Quinn. Felt is one of my favourite craft materials but it's usually seen on the small scale in the craft world - to see it used in such a unique way got me really excited. I want a felt room too!

Oh...and this woolly mammoth sofa by Amy Somerville...made from Mongolian Longhaired Sheep... I tried and failed to find a photo of one. 

Sadly Google led me to long haired bovine instead so I'll have to imagine what they look like.

Such a shame the exhibition was only on for 12 days. 

I'm so pleased I went, I'm going to remember it for a long time.

Wool House by The Campaign For Wool took place at Somerset House 13-24 March 2013. 

If you enjoyed this post - check out more about people who love tweed on Lady Velo's Tweed Run blog post.

Parallel Horizons Exhibition at The Stephen Lawrence Gallery

I'm ashamed to say I've lived in Greenwich for nearly six years and had no idea The Stephen Lawrence Gallery existed...what makes this extra tragic is that I walk passed it every day! And here's me thinking I am (was?) an observant person. Dear Oh Dear. 

Located in the grounds of the picturesque* University of Greenwich (*I have not copied that from their brochure, it genuinely IS BEAUTIFUL.) That's why I walk through the campus instead of getting a bus to the DLR station in the mornings and even late at night, just because it is such an incredible image to behold.

Which is also how I would describe this 'bamboo stall' what I know in Bengali as a Moorah. Every Bangladeshi home has at least one. The best ones are made from bamboo, but some come in plastic too. 

Saif Osmani ordered four from Bangladesh for his new exhibition which opened at The Stephen Lawrence Gallery on Monday. It's a celebration/representation of how bamboo is appropriated in different ways around the world and is partially the result of a residency he did in Taiwan exploring it. He's now curated it into a bigger piece of work with contributions from over 20 other artists.

In the exhibition you get the chance to see, touch and listen to bamboo.
In fact, you don't need to be there to sample the sounds, have a listen on this link.

Saif recorded his Taiwanese trip through photographs, every single one of which features bamboo from pots to steam your dim sum in, to street furniture. 

 

The focal point of the gallery is a towering bamboo structure, created specifically for the site.

It took three days to construct, was partly improvised and also inspired by the four Bangladeshi Moorahs that sit within it.

And here are the gentlemen who made it, Lee Dalby and Pablo Cattermole.

Lee is a basket maker by trade and grows his own willow in his back garden in London. He offered some cuttings to me so I could grow my own too but sadly as I have no garden or window sill I couldn't take him up on the offer. Though at some point I will and must add willow weaving to my craftography.

And here is is. being enjoyed by guests.

I especially loved Rebecca Lucraft's Nepalese bamboo brooches.There was so much natural bamboo on display so it was great to see the possibilities of adding colour.

It's a small gallery but there's enough bamboo to get you thinking about the material in new ways. 

As well as every day objects like fans and pots there are short films and photo projections of bamboo projects from all over the world.
I've never had any connection with bamboo before, it's never really entered my mind, but after visiting the exhibition I think I'll probably get more excited when I next recognise its use somewhere.

Here I am sporting my latest 'indigo' streaks with the amazing Lipi Begum who is a lecturer at The London College of Fashion. She's posing with the brochure which is filled will lovely images from the exhibition.  

Don't forget to pick one up if you go!

Parallel Horizons curated by Saif Osmani is showing at The Stephen Lawrence Gallery in Greenwich until February 28th 2013.

Collect 2012 Saatchi Gallery 11-14 May : A taste

Anna Ray's 'Knot'

I've always found it hard to differentiate between 'what is art' and 'what is craft'. Numerous curators, organisations and experts have divided opinions on the matter but 'Collect' is a craft fair that blurs the line so much, that it is impossible to claim there is a difference between the two disciplines. Collect is organised by the UK Craft Council, but unlike other events for contemporary crafts, it's an international affair where 31 galleries present work from the finest makers/designers in the world. And when I say 'finest' - I'm not exaggerating. Although there are many countries that are not present, the work that is on display is of the highest quality, and is reassuringly imaginative.

Heidi Sand

I attended the show on the first day of the four day event which was held at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea. Every time I step foot in Chelsea I expect to bump into characters from Made In Chelsea but sadly it's yet to happen. The event was held over three floors, the first two housed the exhibitions  and the top floor was a showcase called Project Space which I'll come back to later.
The crafts at Collect included ceramics, textiles, woodwork, metalwork...but from the moment I walked in, it was the jewellery that caught my attention. Across the entire exhibition, statement necklaces and pendants and intricate rings were a re-occuring theme. All of them so delicate and refined that they were a work of art in their own right. Photography was frowned upon by some of the galleries so unfortunately I have very limited photos which means there were many exquisite pieces that I fell in love with that I can't show you, like Melanie Georgacopoulos jaw dropping pearl collars (far more superior to the versions on her website) and Hans Stofers giant chain pendants, selling for an average of £4k each! It's times like this I wish I was a curator so I really could do some shopping!

Anna Talbot (image taken from AnnaTalbot.com)

Here are some of the items that caught my attention. I loved these giant wooden

silhouette pieces by Anna Talbot. They all had an enchanted, magical, fairytale theme and it made a change to seeing paper cuts; a craft that seems to be everywhere these days....I'm a fan, but Anna's designs showed that wood is just as effective for telling stories.

Elise Hatlo (image taken from EliseHatlo.com)

In the same gallery was the work of Elise Hatlo - both were presented by Galleri Format from Norway. What appealed to me was the way the materials in each piece seemed to be complete opposites of each other. She made ancient rock look good with modern metal detailing.

Karola Torkas

I am definately going back to The Netherlands! When I went a year ago I discovered gorgeous ceramics and homeware for sale. At Collect there were several art galleries from the region exhibiting and I felt that overall, they were the most exciting to explore. This range by Karola Torkas part of Gallerie Marzee was the kind of necklace display I aspire to owning...one day when I get a walk in wardrobe, I will hang my jewels in this manner!

Here's one of the pieces as a close up, which I got from the galleries website.

Maud Traon (image MaudTraon.net)

I discovered Maud at the Lesley Craze Gallery and was immediately drawn in by the shimmery, fantasy theme of her rings. I liked the way her work was so playful, yet not tacky. Despite their bright candy colours which seem more like what you find in hobby crafts rather than professional craft, her portfolio maintained the high standard of work found across the exhibition.

Dana Hakim (image DanaHakim.com)

Finally, I know, this isn't my usual style (I'm a magnet for colour) but there was something very appealing about this obscure neckpiece by Dana Hakim that reminded me of a gasmark that I just really liked! There were so many beautiful pieces, so much nicer than the usual pieces you find at craft fairs. My worst jewellery nightmare would be have to have to wear a diamond from Tiffany's.....I would so much rather indulge in a handcrafted art piece. But will have to keep dreaming for now!

Cup by Anna Ray (2004)

Back to Project Space. This is where 10 designers are given free reign to create an experimental installation for the exhibition. Every one of them was extraordinary but the two which caught my attention (and I had a chance to speak to the designers) were Anna Ray's Knots (the image at the beginning of this post) and Crook & Jones rather spectacular living chair, pictured below. Knots was a massive wall of individual pieces that Anna described as Jemima from Play School's legs. Each time they are displayed they can be knotted in different ways so the overall shape of the exhibition can change. It looked like a giant rug but surprisingly each piece (which Anna allowed people to touch) felt very soft and delicate. It was an amazing piece but made even more interesting when Anna revealed they were initially inspired by the underwires found in bra. I've never seen one before until she showed me an image. You can compare here. Who knew bra underwires had coloured tips?

The Rhizome Chair

This rather fantabulous chair caught my eye immediately as it was alive is many ways! Not only was there a plant and some potatoes growing on it, there were lights and visuals. I went back to look at it three times because I was so stunned by it and on the third time was lucky enough to meet one of its creators. 

Dr Geoff Crook from Crook & Jones

Speaking to Geoff was very inspiring. he showed me some of the other designs he's worked on, all which take furniture beyond its usual boundaries. The chair is made up of pods that all change organically. One of them, is a glowing amber jewel, but on close inspection, it's also projecting a video of the chair being made, and at the very top pod is a potato clock. It was visually very beautiful but when you spent time investigating it, you realised there were so many details and aspects to it....it certainly makes you think before you sit.

Chrome Yellow Books (image from Craft Council website)

To end my highlights, I want to mention the pop-up bookshop by Chrome Yellow Books. Just like the Collect brings together the best designers, CYB brought together the finest craft books.You know when you visit galleries and they sell unique books that you've never seen anywhere else? Well CYB have managed to find these rare gems, and sell them at events.  As someone who is mad about statement jewellery I was very pleased to discover this book:

Book want 1

Lisa Walker (image from LisaWalker.de)

Each piece was fun, quirky and (heavy looking!). I like the way knitted fingers puppets have been given a new use, (and hey wearing it is probably as warm as snuggling up in a scarf!) My absolute favourite piece in the book was a 1980s turquoise clam shell laptop necklace as it's the exact laptop I have! Great work Lisa!

Book want 2

This paper jewellery book was another personal fave as it was nice to see paper used in such creative ways.

Sadly we'll have to wait another year until Collect comes back but when it does, I'll be first in the queue to see what delights will be on offer for 2013.

Collect 2012: The International Fair for Contemporary Objects took place at The Saatchi Gallery in London 11-14 May. For more information about it visit The Craft Council website.