Very mixed media

As expected, our FOLK exhibition has brought some eclectic and somewhat esoteric artworks to the gallery, and we love them!

The lustrous creations of Catriona Faulkner are no exception. Seen from a distance, her shrines glister, seemingly encrusted with precious metals and jewels, but a closer looks reveals an intriguing arrangement of animal skulls and bones, screws and bulbs, beads and broken jewellery, pins and pills.

Catriona's work probes and scrutinises pain, ritual and devotion, using assemblage and hand stitch methods to examine her own life and to articulate her relationship living with a chronic pain condition. 

Arising from an obsessive, all consuming approach to collecting, selection and process, entangled with symbolic references and metaphors, the mundane detritis of everyday is transformed into mesmerising and, in moments, macabre artworks.

Come along to the gallery and be dazzled.

Wonderful Warren

When setting out to plan our FOLK exhibition, there were few artists who sprang more readily to mind than Lewes-based Emily Warren.

Emily - aka The Stealthy Rabbit - makes animal shapes and mythical characters with papier-mâché. Using mainly found materials, she starts with cardboard as a base to build each piece, adding detail with papier-mâché, and smoothing the forms with tissue paper or dress pattern paper, which she then paints with ink, gouache, acrylics, watercolours, pens and pencils.

It sounds disarmingly simple, but from these humble materials Emily creates characters with such presence and a mythology all of their own.

Here, in our FOLK exhibition at ABtS, are a Resting Giant (complete with carved chalk horse), the Chalk Horse himself, a Merman, a Black Dog, a Hare, the Green Man, a Snow Man (more of a Yeti!), and a Sea Monster. You've got to come and meet them for yourself.

We are open 11am - 5pm seven days a week.

Images: The Sleeping Giant and Hare (above), Black Dog (below), all by Emily Warren.

Paper capers

If you're struggling for what to get the person who has everything this Christmas, have you considered an exquisite paper cut pangolin or a mighty kraken?

They are the creation of Pippa Dyrlaga, a paper artist based in Yorkshire, who uses traditional techniques to create contemporary artworks. Where we might see an ordinary sheet of paper, Pippa sees a world of possibilities, just waiting to be turned into something beautiful or meaningful.

Pippa first draws her image in reverse and then uses a scalpel to painstakingly hand cut her artworks from a single sheet of paper. They can take hours to complete, and she finds the process as important as the finished pieces.

Some of her original paper cuts are then digitised and recreated as a laser cut copy as equally beautiful and more affordable artworks. Come and see the selection we have in the gallery and online.

Pangolin limited edition laser cut (above), Kraken limited edition laser cut (below). Both by Pippa Dyrlaga.

Roads less travelled

We are delighted to be featuring work by British artist Kit Boyd here at Atelier.

Kit follows in the British romantic tradition, creating landscapes from his imagination which are inspired by real places such as the rolling hills and lanes of mid-Wales.

Bordering on the surreal, his pathways lead you away from mundane reality into his strange yet familiar world. Expect Green men and folkloric creatures to appear in his landscapes.

Kit works from his studio overlooking the Thames Barrier in London and exhibits widely across the UK. Come and disappear into his beautiful landscapes at the gallery or explore his works online.

The Crossroads hand coloured etching (above), The Sea Says two plate lino cut (below) by Kit Boyd

Stocks & socks

Whether you're still in Birkenstocks, or have graduated to your winter boots, tis the season of the cosy sock, and we are restocking our selection from ROVE as quickly as they are marching out of the shop.

Rove's British-made men's and women's socks make the perfect finishing touch to your outfit. Knitted with merino wool and organically grown cotton, this Margate-based studio takes pride in their ethical and sustainable practices. See all ROVE here.

And that's not all. We've also got beautiful hats, scarves, gloves and wraps by brilliant UK textile and knitwear makers including Jo Cranston, Sarah Tyssen, Holly Berry & BAKKA. See our collection here.

Shop with us this Christmas and you'll become a part of a whole creative community. And - don't forget - we are offering free shipping to UK addresses on purchases over £15* up until Boxing day.

Come and join us down on Brighton beach. We're open 11am-5pm, seven days a week.

If you see a piece online that is not yet available on our website, please drop us an email at [email protected], or call us at 01273 776159, and we will be happy to help you.

*outsized and extremely fragile pieces are not included in the free shipping offer. Please contact us to arrange in-gallery pick up or specialist shipping.