At the beginning of September I was lucky enough to head to Melbourne for the Affordable Art Fair. I'd been to the Melbourne fair in 2019 before Covid and was interested to see how the event had evolved since then.

The Affordable Art Fair does the rounds globally, with fairs in 10 major cities including Hong Kong, Hamburg, New York, London, Sydney and Melbourne. It aims to disrupt and demystify the world of art, inspiring art lovers and established collectors alike to discover new galleries and artists.

This years event didn't disappoint! Held at the ultra modern and seriously GIGANTIC Melbourne Convention center, 40 Australian and international galleries created thoughtfully curated stands, adding colour and furniture to bring each pop up gallery to life. Galleries represented a selection of artists, some having packed over 200 artworks in moving trucks and travelled from around the country (and globe) to be there.

Studio Gallery, with jet black walls and expertly hung artworks.

Sibu Gallery NSW, featuring original artworks by New Zealand artist Clare Stapleton.

Alongside galleries, the show boasts a selection of young talent, with a dedicated space to showcase their works. Live painting from artists, professional art packing services on site, a cafe and fully licensed bar make the show something you could easily spend a day or two immersing yourself in.

My stand outs from the show were all time Melbourne favourite Fenton & Fenton, Jumbled who had travelled from Orange NSW with their colourful collection, Sibu Gallery from Sydney and Rebecca Hossack Gallery from London.

Fenton & Fenton with their selection of artworks coupled with a few key furniture pieces.

Jumbled used every inch of wall space with works in a beautiful array of colours and sizes.

 

Rebecca Hossack Gallery, featuring my all time favourite piece of the show Love Birds by Aboriginal artist Karen Napaljarri Barnes.

The fair was incredibly uplifting and inspiring. With so many galleries and artists working in wildly different mediums and palettes, the main take away for me was the incredible use of colour across the board.I can't wait to bring some splashes of colour to the walls of our Herne Bay gallery and Selwyn St workshop, watch this space!