I am thrilled to be writing this post. On this occasion I am writing in the capacity of an exhibitor, as opposed to a spectator. JonaQuestArt showcased its collection of Contemporary African art to the lovely people of Liverpool at The Liverpool Contemporary Arts Fair described as “The most Prestigious Art fair of the North” and it was a great success from a networking perspective.
This was my first major art event and the organisers were very helpful. There were people on site that assisted with the off-loading of the art works and lent a helping hand during set up. The fair was organised on two levels, with wide aisles and was not over crowded at the gorgeous historic Liver Building.
The fair kicked off with a preview evening on a Friday with a wide range of art lovers in attendance enjoying and buying art works, whilst enjoying wine champagne, nibbles and chocolate. I must say the chocolate supplied by Dormouse Chocolates was heavenly, I’ve never tasted anything like it. The white chocolate had a lemon twist to it. It popped and melted in your mouth at the same time. Absolutely divine, shame there weren’t any for sale.
Over the course of two day event, It was an enjoyable experience interacting with visitors, who were very forthright with their opinions. They did not hold back on what they liked and disliked about an art piece, which is to be expected and served as good feedback. I met expats who had lived in different parts of Africa and people that had visited on holiday. It was fascinating listening to their stories and how the art brought back memories of the great continent. I loved watching people’s mixed reaction to the art work, as they looked at the work, I could see the twinkle in their eyes and how their mouth gradually took the shape of a smile. Most were fascinated and appreciated the work by the different artists from Nigeria and Zimbabwe I was exhibiting. Some found a drawing of a Marsui girl with a large disc in here bottom lip a little bit too much. That’s the beauty of art, it can provoke a positive or negative emotion, as with anything in life.
It was also interesting speaking to other exhibitors, who were willing to share ideas and offer tips of the trade. Some found the fair to be a bit slow with limited sales with a lot of hobbyists in attendance, while the public could not get enough of photography art by Karen Lawrence Photography, in the stand behind mine, they were flying off the wall!
The thing with art fairs and some other exhibitors concur is that exhibitors do not always sell at the event, but it is a good opportunity to show your work and drum up interest. People might not buy a piece at the fair, but they might visit your website or recommend your work to others which may result into a sale.
That said, from a visitors perspective, there was a wide range of two and three dimensional art work on display ranging from prints to originals, oil and acrylic paintings, photography, sculptures and an art installation at prices for everyone starting as little at £25 to £1.6m from works by emerging and international artists represented by over 50 galleries and artists in attendance.
Laurence Stephen Lowry(1887 – 1976)
City Gentlemen Valued at £1.6m
The crowd was entertained with live painting performances by one of UK’s talented landscape artists Peter Hill and a Monochrome Masterclass with Darren Baker one of the most recognised artists of the 21st century within the classical realism genre. It was fascinating to see concepts come to live in a short space of time.
Here are some highlights from the fair and works I found interesting.
Sculptures
Pangea Sculptures
On entry I was greeted by a crocodile to my left and looking straight ahead were these group of animals like a mini Zoo strategically placed. There were animal sculptures dotted around. At the foot of the stairs and on the Mezzanine level. These distinctive sculptures were presented by Pangea Sculptures. The works are created and sourced directly from a team of talented craftsmen in the heart of Africa. Handmade from recycled metal, these life-like sculptures have a distinctive look and finish which creates a unique attraction suitable for any setting.
Photography
Capital Culture Gallery
For me the Photography at the show was top marks and was the best art work on offer, I loved the black and white portrait photography presented by Capital Culture Gallery, depicting people and culture from Cuba and Africa.
Still on the photography front, the works by Peter Aitchison Photography, also got my attention with its strong imagery of people, places and urban life taken in different parts of the world.
Paintings
Here are some of my highlights from the painting arena and artist that caught my attention.
Jezel Art
The burst of colours in Jezel’s work brought the fair alive. On meeting Jezel in person, I could see her vibrant personality in her marvellous work shown below.
Peter Hill Fine Art
My Stand was opposite Peter Hill’s stand, a renown contemporary British Artist, inspired by the landscapes of the Lake Districts and the National Parks. People know him as an artist, but I think he is more than that. I would describe him as a successful creative entrepreneur. People often ask the question if an artist can be both an artist and entrepreneur? After spending a couple of days in the company this duo, I must say, Peter and David his business partner have got the notion of creative entrepreneurship down to a fine art, with a formula that works.
Peter owns 3 galleries in the northern part of England selling only his work and he also showcases his work through some more galleries down South. Peter and his team visit clients and perform assessments to establish clients’ needs and then creates bespoke pieces for any wall space, incorporating the clients personality and specification. As with any business, David advises that customer services is key and developing a good relationship with your clients. Collectors tend to buy more than one piece from an artist’s work they love. It was a great opportunity to acquire a few tips from Peter and David.
Peter uses a technique called ‘washing’ in his art, which involves washing the raw oil paint on the canvas with white spirit provides the basis for his signature, free-flowing runs of form and colour combination.
Chalfont Art
At Stand B19, Chalfont Art offered a wide selection of works, there was something for everyone. The abstract piece below was very much to my liking and the mask portrait was captivating.
Jennifer Suellen
The cloudy blue sky depicted in Jennifer’s work below is gorgeous. I love the way she captured the moving clouds and the metallic frame blends in with the art work.
Eliza Brown
Eliza (in the picture below) was one of my neighbours at the fair and she was sharing a stand with Claire Cockayne. I was surprised to find out that she had just met Claire through the fair. The organisers put them together to share a Stand. The paintings and prints of these artist really complemented each other. Well done to the organisers for pairing up these 2 artists. Eliza creates quirky seaside mixed-media paintings and some of her work involves using ripped pages as collage material to create a 3D quality.
Installations
April Young – The Gifted Project
As I was setting up I was walking by the installation without giving it a second thought. Eventually I was drawn in by the sound and I walked into the installation by April Young. I was immediately overcome with emotions, this could be as a result of the musical sound and the imagery, words and colours presented before me on a horse. Something touched me, I wasn’t sure what was going on. The installation definitely stirred something within.
The Gifted project is funded by the art council. The project is about endless possibilities, where the carousel horse represents the up and downs and the cycle of Life. The imagery projected onto the horse represents the human mind-set including memories, sensations and emotions.
I leave you with some more paintings from the event.
I would like to say thank you to my fellow exhibitors, the visitors and finally to Black Mango, the organisers of the event, for putting on a great event. Visit the JonaQuestArt Exhibition page to find out where we will be exhibiting next and our online gallery for some unique art works.
The Liverpool Contemporary Arts Fair took place on 26th – 28th of June at the Liverpool Liver Building. Looking forward to the event next year.
