Friday, 14 October 2016

Funky Furniture & Interior Décor from Modern Folk - Bermondsey’s new ‘go-to’ gallery
curated by Kitty Walsh – Opening October 2016

Modern Folk: the hot new folk art and furniture gallery opening in Bermondsey in October 2016 at 98 Tower Bridge Road. The gallery, run by Art Historian Kitty Walsh and entrepreneur Scott Hadley, showcases a curated collection of folk art from across Europe and beyond. A long time collector of folk art herself, Kitty has been trading in historic and vintage pieces for over a year and has gained a reputation for unique pieces that offer a fresh take on traditional styles.

Modern Folk’s collection ranges from 19th century primitive painted furniture and religious icons to mid-century modern ceramics and Soviet-era posters, as well as new works including Russian matryoshka dolls and traditional embroidered slippers from throughout Europe. Choose from vintage taxidermy, traditional ceramics, naïve paintings or quirky kitchenalia - each piece is unique, hand-crafted, and tells a story. You could find the statement piece you have been seeking for your home, or the perfect present for the friend who has everything.

The pieces presented at the launch include intricately painted 19th century boxes with floral and architectural motifs, carved Romanian wedding chests, and brightly coloured kitchen cabinets, tables and chairs. From the rich patina of a dough trough (95GBP) to the scarred surface of a butcher’s table (750GBP), these are pieces that have gained character through decades and centuries of use. With their primitive style and striking colours, they offer a fresh, new way to add a touch of heritage to a contemporary home.

Antique woven and hand embroidered textiles will be shown alongside traditional sewing boxes and distaffs (yarnwinders), highlighting the fact that these pieces were often made by the same people who used them. Some of these textiles have been ‘upcycled’ to create cushion covers and throws, showing how these traditional gems have relevance and beauty that work in our homes today. Elsewhere, traditional embroidered clothing has been repurposed into stylish, wearable pieces that are ethical and affordable, with prices from £85GBP for an antique, hand-embroidered linen shirt.

The gallery will present new collections each season, with a nod to current interior décor and fashion trends. For the forthcoming autumn and winter this will include a selection of vintage Norwegian fisherman’s jumpers, priced from £60, and artisanal slippers from Poland with sheepskin trim and brightly coloured embroidery at 25GBP a pair. Shoppers will find presents to suit all budgets – and ages – with traditional wooden toys, hand-decorated, starting from 15GBP. Sets of Matryoshka dolls can even be inscribed with personal messages, making them a superb Christmas or birthday gift, or even a treasured Christening present.

Commenting on the launch of Modern Folk, Kitty Walsh says: ‘Folk art has been a passion of mine for all of my life, and I am really excited to share these pieces with the public. I love that each item is authentic and unique, that you can always see the hand of the craftsman or woman. For me, these works are a link to our shared past, to a time when people would know the origin of every object that they owned, and most probably the person who made it. These pieces are the ultimate antidote to today’s disposable culture – and they look great in contemporary homes!’

Photographs available from www.modernfolkshop.com

Notes to Editors:

Kitty Walsh has been collecting folk art and clothing since she was a teenager, and has twice been given traditional slippers by strangers who heard about her collection. Since graduating with a BA Hons in History of Art from Cambridge, she has worked with auction houses, dealers and private collectors as a specialist in European and Asian decorative arts. She has an MA from UCL in the Dutch Golden Age and (aside from folk art) research interests include early modern travel, Colonial and export furniture and scientific ephemera.

Scott Hadley is an entrepreneur from the events industry who has previously run cutting edge cocktail bars in North and East London. He writes, as Scott Manley Hadley, the literary blog Triumph of the Now. His work regularly appears in the Huffington Post Blog and Open Pen.

Gallery:
Kitty Walsh & Scott Hadley
Modern Folk
98 Tower Bridge Road
Bermondsey SE1 4TP
London
T: +44(0)7736 666992
E: kitty@modernfolkshop.com
W: www.modernfolkshop.com

Press Enquiries:
Russell Cassleton Elliott
T +44(0)7808 403 963
E: russell@cassletonelliott.com