For the second year, The Decorative Fair this Autumn welcomes Tribal Art London, the UK’s leading fair for traditional art forms from cultures throughout the world.

Building on the success of 2023 when the fair first joined us, TAL will exhibit on the mezzanine, transforming the space into a vibrant hub of cultural heritage. This unique event will feature 15 specialist dealers showcasing an exceptional array of museum-standard objects from Oceania, Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Central Anatolian Kilim, circa 1800 (Alan Marcuson)

TAL offers a rare opportunity for art enthusiasts, collectors and the public to explore and acquire stunning pieces of tribal art. From intricate masks and sculptures to vibrant textiles and ceremonial objects, the fair promises a diverse and rich display of traditional art forms that highlight the creativity and cultural significance of works created by aboriginal people from around the globe.

Baule figure, Ivory Coast, early C20th (David Malik)

The market for tribal art continues to develop worldwide and while exceptional sculptures and masks can make seven figures at top auction houses, the diversity of works available still leaves room for less ‘deep pocketed’ investors especially in the area of ‘domestic’ objects such as vessels, furniture and textiles.

The stand of Tom Hurst at TAL 2023

The array of objects and entry-level prices available at TAL attract not just collectors but interior designers, museums and institutions looking for extraordinary objects.

TAL takes place concurrently with the Autumn Decorative Fair from 1-6 October 2024.

Exhibitors:

Sumba Ikat hinggi kombu, man’s mantle, Indonesia, early C20th (Frans Faber)

From overseas, exhibitors will include Frans Faber (Netherlands), who specialises in the art of Indonesia and Zac Ziebarth (USA) who focuses on Native American objects and will be bringing a collection of Navajo textiles. Rob Temple from Belgium will bring a selection of predominantly African sculpture.

Adam Prout, an exceptional dealer of African art, is returning to exhibit, raising the standard and breadth of African objects on show.

Southern African beadwork coils, Nguni people, C19th (Adam Prout)

Owen and Jasmine of TribalSpace will show textiles and large dramatic pieces great for interior design. Stothert and Trice (UK) will bring enigmatic Oceanic and African sculpture and weapons and Alan Marcuson (UK) will bring an array of impressive and important textiles and woven objects appealing to not only collectors but also high-end interior designers.

David Malik shows a specialist collection of masks from Central and Western Africa; Kezhia Orege focuses on a selection of East African furniture and objects and will also be showing contemporary photography; Tom Hurst will curate an eclectic collection of African and Oceanic pieces and a particular focus on weaponry, and Lisa Tao will show a range of wonderful Oceanic pieces and a selection of photography from her archives. Last year at TAL, Lisa Tao sold an important antique portrait of a Thai king, which realised the largest sum paid for one of her vintage photographs.

Special mentions and projects:

Alan Marcuson returns to the UK after 15 years dealing in tribal art whilst based in Brussels. Marcuson, now in his 80s, is relaunching his career by returning to his dealing roots, showing Anatolian kilims and extraordinary textiles from around the world. He will bring a show-stopping kilim made as a one-off special project over 20 years ago. The aim was to have highly skilled Qasqai women weavers make a large kilim using vegetable dyes and hand-spun wools in the traditional manner. It took six weavers about half a year to complete. As such, it is not a production piece but a craft one, and retains the aesthetic sensibilities of kilims made in the 19th century. Not only is out one of the biggest kilims Marcuson has ever come across but it is a weaving masterpiece, and the first contemporary kilim Marcuson has ever bought in a career spanning 50 years.

Contemporary Qasqai Kilim (Alan Marcuson)

Relic London is exhibiting for the second time at TAL this year. Founded in 2022 by interior architect Olya Johnson and advertising creative Natalie Vosloo, Relic’s eclectic curation of collectibles ranges from 20th-century art and objects to rarefied antiques. This year Relic London is curating an exhibition of works by contemporary artists including Richard Hudson that have all been directly influenced by the aesthetics of tribal art, approaches to production, patinas and spiritual

Rare unusual chair form, Wollega Oromo Region, Ethiopia‍, circa 1900, (Bryan Reeves)

Group exhibition:

Inspired by the wonderful furniture on display at The Decorative Fair, Tribal Art London is curating an exhibition of tribal furniture comprising stools, thrones, headrests and panels. The variety of African stools alone is astonishing, with each tribe having their own style, creating bespoke pieces imbued with personal and communal spirituality. This exhibition gives a glimpse into the diversity of design in furniture from Africa, Oceania and Asia.

Admission to TAL is free with entry to The Decorative Fair, and the opening hours are the same.  Discover more about the event at www.tribalartlondon.com.

 

Tribal Art London