Collect, the leading international art fair for contemporary, museum-quality craft and design, returns to Somerset House for its 22nd edition from 27th February to 1st March 2026, with previews taking place 25th February and 26th February. The fair, presented by Crafts Council, will bring together 40 specialist galleries and arts organisations from across the globe, including 10 new exhibitors in 2026. This is the first iteration under the leadership of new Fair Director TF Chan, and sees a notable presence of collectible design and furniture alongside a diverse range of craft forms across the fair.
Positioned at the forefront of the contemporary craft movement, the fair showcases an expertly curated line-up of galleries featuring works by over 300 living artists. The exhibitors hail from countries including Canada, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, South Korea, and the UK.
There will be a wide range of disciplines and materials at Collect, spanning ceramics, glass, lacquer, furniture, jewellery, metalwork, wood, textiles and paper, pushing the boundaries of traditional craft techniques. On display will also be works embracing more unusual materials such as oak leaves, denim, discarded shopping bags, and moss; as well as those from artists incorporating digital technology in their practice. Emerging names will be positioned alongside established masters, showing the importance of sustaining and evolving traditions and heritage across generations.
The majority of works have been created within the last five years, with many specially commissioned for the fair; ensuring collectors, interior designers, architects, art advisors, global arts institutions, and art and craft enthusiasts can discover, acquire and commission the very best in contemporary craft.
TF Chan, Fair Director of Collect, said:
“Collect has always been the place to encounter ambitious contemporary craft, and to see how galleries champion artists who bring together exceptional skill and imagination. While we deepen this commitment, we are enhancing the fair’s role as a platform for collectible design, where unique and limited-edition furniture is presented with the same care as museum-quality craft. Our 2026 exhibitors reveal how seamlessly these worlds come together, and how craft and design are integral to wider conversations about material culture and contemporary life.”
Natalie Melton, Crafts Council’s Executive Director, said:
“Collect continues to showcase how dynamic, storied and skilful the craft market is today. It’s an opportunity to connect with and purchase works from galleries and makers from across the globe, whilst celebrating the extraordinary craft talent that the UK produces. It’s a generous, celebratory moment in the craft calendar; a first appearance at the fair can provide a remarkable springboard to someone’s career, and forge connections with collectors and purchasers that endure for decades.”
Highlights for Collect 2026
Contemporary Lacquer One medium set to feature prominently at Collect 2026 is contemporary lacquer, with works from a number of first-time exhibitors pushing the boundaries of this centuries-old art form. This reflects a broader interest in the medium, with the V&A South Kensington opening Urushi Now: Contemporary Japanese Lacquer in the Toshiba Gallery of Japanese Art on 30 April 2026. Masami Yamada, Curator of Japanese Art in the V&A’s Asia Department, will be moderating a talk on lacquer as part of Collect’s public programme.
Mono Art (Tokyo) will present work by Yoshito Yamashita – one of only ten artists designated as a Living National Treasure in the field of Japanese lacquer art – alongside those by his son, Kojin Yamashita. They both advance the regional Kagawa lacquer tradition, combining meticulous traditional craftmanship with bold new approaches, expanding the use of colour and technique in a profound and innovative way.
WAJOY (Tokyo) will showcase the versatility of lacquer as a contemporary material, revealing it as a living, transformative medium: fragile yet enduring, tactile yet conceptual. A highlight of the stand will be Shohei Ohta’s Mask Series.
In a collaborative presentation showing the rich potential of cross-cultural exchange, Hiroki / White Conduit Projects (London) will show works co-created by UK-based artists Ashraf Hanna, Jane Bustin and Rosa Nguyen with Japanese lacquer master Hiroki. The resulting works will embody both cultural heritage – using kintsugi and toutaishikki techniques – and contemporary resonances.
The Gallery by SOIL (Hong Kong) will present works by artists from Japan and China, including three-dimensional sculptures which display both the innovative spirit and cultural richness of lacquer, with intricate works that express personal narratives and philosophical ideas.
A Variety of Disciplines
Leading specialist galleries will showcase works by a diverse range of artists, offering an overview of the finest contemporary craft across a variety of disciplines.
Gallery FUMI (London) will show monumental ceramic vessels from the Living Being series by Ghanaian artist Kobina Adusah, inspired by traditional African craft and grounded in the belief that the earth we walk on carries ancestral weight. The presentation coincides with a wider solo show by Adusah at FUMI’s Mayfair gallery.
Sitting at the heart of British glass, Peter Layton London Glassblowing (London) will celebrate its 50th anniversary, presenting works by James Maskrey, Heike Brachlow and Colin Reid. Visitors will discover exceptional craftsmanship that demonstrates why glass remains one of the most compelling and collectible mediums in contemporary art today.
Delicate embroideries based on Taiwanese food by Deng Wen Jen will be exhibited at Bluerider ART (London, Los Angeles, Shanghai and Taipei), alongside works by video-sculpture artist, Marck.
BR Gallery (Beijing) will return with a selection of works by Chinese and Japanese jewellery artists, including new Chinese filigree works by Siqui Zhang and fine silver jewellery by Japanese artist Aya Iwata.
Siat Gallery (Seoul) bring together works from Korean artists who elevate everyday materials into refined, collectible objects. These include wearable pieces by Hoyeon Chung, such as a brooch in organza and polyester mesh; JungHoo Kim, with works in lacquered mulberry paper; and Sooyeon Kim, who creates both wall pieces and brooches using photo paper.
Design Presentations
A leading gallery in collectible design and contemporary art, Mia Karlova Galerie (Amsterdam) will present a selection of furniture, lighting and ceramics. Striking chairs and lights by Vadim Kibardin crafted from recycled paper and cardboard will be shown alongside Valeria Isyak’s wall piece Drop of Water, created with hand-shaped and coloured porcelain petals.
Poland’s Creative Industries Institute (Warsaw), in partnership with the Polish Cultural Institute and On&On Designs, will highlight the material innovation and imaginative spirit of contemporary Polish creatives. Curated by Corinne Julius and designed by Miska Miller-Lovegrove, the presentation will include objects by Formsophy, inspired by natural forms, balancing raw materiality with subtle, refined details; and intentionally deformed ceramic sculptures by Monika Patuszynska, exploring the tension between control and chance.
Design-focused Max Radford Gallery (London) will present furniture by artists working with discarded materials. These will include Tessa Silva’s stool which incorporates deadstock cotton; Lewis Kemmenoe, whose patchworked furniture often incorporates offcuts of exotic timbers; and Carsten in der Elst who works with industrial processes and their by-products
M.A.H Gallery (London) will present a reinterpretation of The House, its design and interior destination in east London articulating ‘an all-encompassing vision for living’. Curated by interior stylist and creative director Laura Fulmine, the installation features artists such as Vy Voi and Studio Earle, and includes architectural ceramics and lighting.
House of Bandits (London), a gallery showcasing the work of current artists and alumni of Sarabande Foundation’s studio residency programme, will display innovative pieces including Darcey Fleming’s colourful chairs which combine baling twine with discarded furniture.
Thematic Displays
Jennifer Lauren Gallery‘s (Manchester) presentation will centre on the theme of living beings, both human and animal. This will include Yoshihiro Watanabe’s Japanese oak leaves folded into small animals using origami-style techniques. The gallery champions disabled artists with the intention of making the art world more accessible and inclusive.
Emerging from the quiet introspection of winter, Cavaliero Finn‘s (London) stand, ‘Verdant Pulse,’ will be rooted in ideas of natural transformation and sensory awakening. Works will include Frances Priest’s vibrant Byzantine series, and Alan Meredith’s ebonised oak vessel.
FIVE (London), a collective of metal artists, will consider the theme of ‘Scale’, highlighting how it transforms both the object and the viewer’s experience. To celebrate the collective’s fifth anniversary, the presentation will include a display of 10 small works by all artists involved in FIVE to date, creating a visual archive of its evolving identity and ambition.
Thrown (St Austell) will unite 12 distinctive ceramic artists in a presentation titled ‘Map-making’, with work that embodies a record of place and time; from Nina Gerada’s architectural sculptures inspired by the carved landscape of her home in Malta, to Bisila Noha’s journey of inspiration and discovery as an artist.
Caroline Fisher Projects (Norfolk) will platform ceramics, with a focus on animals, plants and soil around the theme of ‘The Garden Comes Inside.’ The display will be a precursor to a forthcoming exhibition at Caroline Fisher Projects’ new gallery at Bolwick Hall.
Alveston Gallery Notting Hill (London) will curate a presentation of ceramics and wall art in line with the themes of joy, fun and humour. Artists will include Hylton Nel, Evelyn Albrow and Vicky Lindo.
Craft Alliance Atlantic Association (Halifax) will present ‘The Power of Objects: Voices of Atlantic Canadian Craft Artists’, embracing craft as a vital language that communicates beyond words. The presentation will feature works using organic material by Ralph Simpson and works by Darrell DesRoches using wood, sand, copper, jute and paint.
COLLECT OPEN
Alongside the gallery presentations, Collect Open will bring together the work of 11 artists selected for the annual showcase of bold, craft-led installations by artists and collectives. Collect Open champions work that tells stories challenging material, social, political or personal perceptions, and cements Collect’s broader commitment to platforming artists who push the boundaries of traditional craft techniques, as seen this year in works which span from contemporary embroidery to silversmithing, basket work to marquetry. Collect Open is supported by Spinocchia Freund.
Kamilah Ahmed (textiles, British, lives and works in London, UK), Amelia Dennigan (textiles, Irish, lives and works in Lisbon, Portugal), Olly Fathers (marquetry, British, lives and works in London, UK), Katherine James (metal, British, lives and works in Leeds, UK), Jihyun Kim (ceramics, South Korean, lives and works in London, UK), Chloe Lennon (furniture, Irish, lives and works in London, UK), Ella Merriman (basketry, British, lives and works in London, UK), Jynsym Ong (ceramics, British, lives and works in Oxford, UK), Hanna Salomonsson (ceramics, Swedish, lives and works in London, UK), Zofia Sobolewska Ursic (marquetry, Polish, lives and works in Krakow, Poland, Oriel Zinaburg (ceramics, Israeli, lives and works in London, UK MORE
COLLECT TALKS
Working with international experts including curators, collectors and gallerists, Collect 2026 will present a public talks programme at Somerset House, providing compelling discussions and presentations which will celebrate and champion contemporary craft and design. The programme will include panel discussions exploring contemporary lacquer, collectible design and craft in architectural contexts, reflecting key themes of the 2026 fair. Full details will be announced in mid-January.
Collect exhibitors 2026 HERE
Collect 2026 Collectors’ Preview: 25th February 2026 2PM– 9PM (invitation only)
Preview: 11AM – 9PM 26th February 2026 (invitation holders and tickets available to purchase)
Public Opening 27th February 2026 – 1st March 2026 11AM – 5PM Tickets will be on sale in mid-January 2026, Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA
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