On 26 February COVER attended an atelier salon at The New Craftsmen in London’s Mayfair for an evening of conversation in the company of hand weaver Catarina Riccabona and interior designer Jonathan Reed.
Austrian weaver Catarina Riccabona has been producing her natural fibre handmade wares from her studio at Cockpit Arts in southeast London since 2012, following her study of Textile Design at Central St Martins. Her natural talent for creating subtly captivating textiles is accompanied by a passion for traditional tribal weavings and a commitment to sourcing high quality, eco-friendly materials.
Jonathan Reed has been described as a ‘stealth designer’ by Tim Jefferies, owner of Hamiltons Gallery in Mayfair, owing to his highly sought after, under-the-radar design practice which champions artisan led “interior couture”. He encountered Riccabona’s work by chance and was genuinely shocked by the low prices that were being asked for such wonderful and time-consuming works. This fortuitous meeting has led to Riccabona’s work being championed in all the right circles, including the atelier residency at The New Craftsmen gallery, 24 – 28 February 2015. This is the third of four atelier events held at the space, each hosting a different maker practicing their craft.
The atelier salon raised important issues relating to the value of artistic vision and time in a consumer society and provided a welcome platform for the promotion and celebration of contemporary craft in Britain.