London’s Marylebone is sparkling with festive creativity as the Contemporary Applied Arts (CAA) Gallery unveils “Evolving Tradition: A Contemporary Christmas,” a seasonal showcase celebrating the best of contemporary craft.
The highlight is a magical Christmas window by acclaimed folk artist Julie Arkell, whose hand-made animals, dolls, stars and storybook creatures – crafted from recycled materials and delicately painted papier-mâché – are stopping passers-by in their tracks. Blending nostalgia with modern craft, the exhibition brings together leading makers from across the UK, offering visitors a chance to discover unique ceramics, textiles and one-of-a-kind jewellery in the heart of Marylebone.
Arkell’s enchanting window installation features an exhibition of her hand-made characters, Christmas trees and other nostalgic figures. Arkell’s display is inspired by the Nativity but given her own unique twist by using recycled materials and papier mache to create cute creatures which are delicately hand-painted in a retro style that evokes childhood memories, nursery rhymes and folkloric tales. Many of the creatures have positive mantra’s and uplifting messages hand-sewn on their bodies, such as ‘Bring in Love’, ‘From Abandoned Songs Come Lullabies’, ‘Wait To See’ and ‘Bring in Peace and Gentleness’.
Evolving Tradition: A Contemporary Christmas is the Contemporary Applied Arts (CAA) Gallery’s festive group show. As well as Arkell’s whimsical window installation, the exhibition features the creations of; Hannah White, Kate Bajic, Tessa Wolfe Murray, BAKKA, Verity Pulford, Helen Slater Stokes, Omer Oner, Jilli Blackwood, Caroline Sharp, Ruth Harries, Agalis Manessi, Eva Radulova, Hanna Salomonsson, Tessa Eastman, Nancy Main and Laurance Simon. Evolving Traditions is the perfect place to seek out unique, hand-crafted Christmas gifts including ceramics and one-of-a-kind jewelry.
Arkell’s work is highly collectable and she has loyal fans who buy her pieces. She is one of England’s best recognized contemporary folk artists working in papier-mâché and mixed media. Her works in papier-mâché mix vintage fabrics, scraps of poems and words she loves, as well as knits and stitching to her dolls. Her unique sense of ‘making’ is inspired by old toys, painting, stories and folk art. The resulting characters are imbued with wistfulness, a sense of memories, charm and whimsy all at once.
“A really broad audience of people are drawn to her pieces. Including some older people who have a nostalgic attachment to the images she uses, as well as young people. I think there’s something about the scrappy used nature of the materials she uses – she often incorporates vintage fabrics, lace and materials she has collected over time. One piece had little brocade bits from a vest her aunt had owned in the 1950s. She’s very inspired by the artist Joseph Cornell. Not necessarily visually, but he became famous for assemblage boxes that he filled with found objects and handmade things.” CAA Gallery
Born in London, Arkell studied at West Surrey College of Art and Design in Farnham before gaining a diploma in textiles at St Martin’s School of Art. Her work is exhibited all over the world including the UK, NYC and Japan.
CAA Gallery started out in 1948 as the Crafts Centre of Great Britain, a members’ selling organisation developed while planning the future of craft during the Second World War. The Crafts Centre of Great Britain consisted of five societies – the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society, the Red Rose Guild, the Society of Scribes and Illuminators, the Senefelder Club (devoted to lithography) and the Society of Wood Engravers. From 1972 until 1986 it was known as the British Crafts Centre, and renamed Contemporary Applied Arts in 1987.
Evolving Traditions: A Contemporary Christmas is at CAA Gallery until 24th December, 2025.
All images Courtesy of CAA Gallery.
