Art beyond borders: Affordable Art Fair returns in celebration of the art world’s internationalism

Detail from Indian Woman #CosmicChange by Natasha Kumar. All images: Affordable Art Fair

The Affordable Art Fair will return to Hampstead Heath next month in an exploration of the impact of internationalism and travel on contemporary art.

Springing forward this year to the earlier dates of 11th – 14th May, the fair will return with more international galleries than ever before – offering an unrivalled opportunity to invest in global and home-grown talent at an affordable price.

Palmetto Spring by Charlotte Keates

Emerging talent from London’s top art schools will show works inspired by unfamiliar foreign landscapes and cultures as part of the Made in Arts London exhibition – addressing the importance of celebrating cultural diversity in light of Article 50.

Artists on show will include Imogen Parry, whose landscape photographs look at the concept of ‘paradise’, and Stefon Grant, a London-based photographer who looks at urbanism and the city’s changing faces and what that means for the historic capital.

Elsewhere across the fair visitors will be able to browse works by hundreds of artists who’ve travelled the globe to find their creative inspiration. They’ll include British artist Dan Hillier, whose works have been directly influenced by time he spent with shamans in the Peruvian Amazon, as well as works from British-Indian artist Natasha Kumar. Kumar’s pieces, inspired by 40 years of annual trips to India, reflect the impact of western culture on Indian traditions and challenge tourists’ preconceptions of the country.

Other artists to unveil new works exploring the theme will include Charlotte Keates, whose pieces have been inspired by a recent road trip through North America, and Alberto Sanchez who spends between 3-6 months every year capturing iconic global locations for his sci-fi style landscape pieces.

With more international galleries than ever before, the fair will show some of the best in global talent. Galleries include the likes of Aboriginal Art Galleries (Sydney, Australia), Artelite (Montpellier, France), Fousion Gallery (Barcelona, Spain) and Gallery AE (Korea).

Azure Aura by Vu Thu Hien

They will be complemented by British galleries with an international outlook, including Bleach Box Photography Gallery (London, England) and Artshouse (London, England) who both show exciting artists from across the globe.

All works are available from £100-£6,000, suitable for everyone from seasoned collectors to first time buyers.

Visitors looking to get in touch with their creative side will be able to take part in a number of interactive workshops and informative talks from the likes of City Lit and JW3. For those wanting to immerse themselves in the art of other cultures, the Hampstead School of Art will also run workshops inspired by pre-Columbian American artwork, Indonesian artist Dolorosa Sinaga and the relationship between West African art and Picasso’s portraiture.

Affordable Art Fair Hampstead Director Luci Noel explains “As an international art hub, London has long been a place for artists from across the globe to develop their craft and share their voice through art.

Best Choice in Downtown by Richard Heeps

“The art world truly is borderless and we are thrilled to be celebrating this relationship between art and travel at our Hampstead fair, giving a platform to exciting international and British talent in Europe’s art capital.”

A spokesperson from Made in Arts London said: “For centuries, artists have been travelling to unfamiliar places to be inspired by the cultures, traditions and landscapes of foreign countries.

“In the aftermath of the EU referendum vote, our exhibition at the Affordable Art Fair in Hampstead will aim to address the importance of internationalism and the significance of cultural diversity.”

The Affordable Art Fair has revolutionised and democratised the art market with its accessible approach, bringing art under £6,000 to its three UK locations: Battersea Park, Hampstead Heath, and Bristol – all complemented by a newly-launched ecommerce platform.

The Affordable Art Fair Hampstead opens its doors to the public on Thursday 11th May and runs until Sunday 14th May.

For tickets to all dates and further information, visit: affordableartfair.com/fairs/Londonhampstead