HARVEST: Handpicked Craft for Autumn

As we’ve officially slipped into autumn – the time of home and hearth and dinner parties – domestic gods and goddesses, take note. HARVEST: Contemporary Art Fair, running from 11 until 19 October at the City Art Centre, is where you’re bound to find the homeware picks of the season. Led by independent curator and The Skinny’s design columnist Stacey Hunter and presented by Craft Scotland, HARVEST brings together the best of contemporary Scottish handicraft, guided by a vision of warmth, gathering, and autumnal abundance.

Hunter gathered inspiration from the City Art Centre’s unique past as a commercial centre. Constructed during the heyday of Scotland’s Arts and Crafts movement, the elegant Beaux Arts building housed newspaper offices and printing studios at the turn of the century. Fast forward to the late thirties, the building received an unexpected second life as a fruit and vegetable warehouse, with pyramids of produce sold right outside its doors. HARVEST, with its focus on Scottish artisanry and hospitality, responds to the building’s history as a trading post for Scotland’s rich culture and ripe produce. “I wanted to show off the fruits of our labour,” smiles Hunter.

The exhibition will present 80 Scotland-based makers from a variety of creative disciplines. This year’s open call has been the largest to date, attracting over 200 hopefuls. While standing for different artforms and career stages – you’ll find both emerging talent and internationally-recognised names on the list – these makers all share a “hyperlocal” approach, many using traditional techniques and sourcing raw materials from the countryside.

Artist Julia Rebaudo, for example, makes unspun wool rugs in the Highlands with fleece collected from her own small but hardy flock of Shetland-Soay sheep; restauranteur-ceramicist Akiko Matsuda – who was recently profiled by The Skinny – works with clay from her family farm in Angus; and designer Joe Ginnif builds playful, rural-inspired furniture (one of his cabinet features a fairytale-reminiscent thatched roof) with Scottish timber.

Piece by Eleanor Young. Photo: Fun Makes Good. 

“We’re all about craft and design in Scotland,” says Hunter, “how we harvest material from the land.” The show brings together a wide collection of artists who share a dedication to craftsmanship, sustainable design, and caring for the Scottish outdoors. As Hunter talks me through the catalogue, she enthuses over the finer points of various pieces. Her eye for heritage and quality is evident. “I’m most interested in the stories behind what people bring to the table,” she says. Unsurprisingly, Hunter is passionate about platforming Scotland’s talent: “We have such a high concentration of world-class makers in Scotland.” She emphasises: “HARVEST is a snapshot of the country’s best output.”

Unlike your run-of-the-mill white cube exhibition, HARVEST will take a gallery-cum-retail approach. “It's a bit like a farmers’ market,” explains Hunter. More than anything, the exhibition is going to be cosy. Promising an intimate, domestic atmosphere with its low ceilings and natural light, the showroom will invite visitors to picture its display of furniture, textiles, jewellery, crockery, and more in their own home. A busy programme of craft workshops – including copper tile embossing and Japanese stab bookbinding – further bring an interactive dimension to the exhibition.

In keeping with the spirit of a farmer’s market, HARVEST shows off approachable luxury: high quality handicraft at crowd-pleasing price points. Sure, some pieces in HARVEST will be worth a few figures, but you’ll also be able to find pieces for department store prices, heirloom pieces made without the stamp of department store banality, made to be handed down.

“What makes an object extraordinary – and not just ordinary – is the presence of an emotional connection,” Hunter says with conviction. “Each piece I’ve chosen tells a story through its materials and craftsmanship.” HARVEST promises to be a stunning showcase of sublime, handpicked design that reimagines the traditional craft fair. 

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HARVEST: Contemporary Art Fair, City Art Centre, Edinburgh, 11-19 Oct, 10am-4pm