Image: ARKO

The Sarah Myerscough Gallery in Barnes hosts an interiors exhibition called The Natural Room until November. The collection is composed of hand crafted contemporary design and art pieces that have been created by artists often working with local communities. It involves ethical and emotional decisions to use slow grown, organic materials and skill-based craft. The international artist-designer-makers included in the collection embrace these ideologies of sustainability and conscious sourcing to create beautifully crafted furniture pieces and sculptural objects in materials such as wood, jute, sisal, willow, and stoneware.

Image: Joe Hogan, Boat like driftwood pouch with a fork, 2020

The gallery explains the motivation for the exhibition: “At this moment in time, it feels more pertinent than ever to arrive back at a home which invigorates our senses, calms our minds and connects us to different localities, their makers and communities. Each piece in the collection is imbued with a personality that brings character into our interior spaces. These objects and furniture pieces ask to be treasured as heirlooms in our families over time, instead of falling into the pitfalls and landfills of fast consumerism.” Watch Angela Damman's video about designing with plant fibres:

Artists in the exhibition are: ARKO, Japan - rice straw; Laura Ellen Bacon, UK - willow; Max Bainbridge of Forest + Found, UK - wood; Angela Damman, Mexico - sisal; Alison Dickens, UK - willow; Egeværk, Denmark - wood; Max Frommeld, USA - wood; Luke Fuller, UK - ceramics; Ernst Gamperl, Germany - wood; Joe Hogan, Ireland - willow; Felicity Irons of Rush Matters, UK - rush; Tim Johnson, Spain - natural grasses; Mami Kato, Japan - rice straw; Eleanor Lakelin, UK - wood; Fernando Laposse, Mexico - sisal; Peter Marigold & Tadanori Tozawa, UK/Japan - wood; Cristian Mohaded, Argentina - simbol; Gareth Neal, UK - wood; Michael Peterson, USA - wood; Marcin Rusak, Poland - flowers; Alida Kuzemczak-Sayer, UK - Himalayan paper; Diana Scherer, Netherlands - natural root systems; Domingos Totora, Brazil - recycled cardboard; and Nic Webb, UK - wood.

For more information visit www.sarahmyerscough.com