Isle Of Dogs showcase finds a new home at Sokai Higgwe’s London City Island space
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Anyone who visited the Forge Art Fair in 2023 will have felt the buzz.
Founder Carolina Kollmann and her team packed Craft Central’s Westferry Road base with art, artists and people to appreciate them and their work.
The charity may be no more – with its crafters, artists and tenants ejected from the Isle Of Dogs building following its unexpected collapse, earlier this year – but, nevertheless, Carolina’s vision lives on.
That’s in no small part thanks to artist and photographer Sokari Higgwe.
The founder of London Lighthouse Gallery And Studio at London City Island had visited the fair in 2023 on the advice of residents and neighbours.
So when Carolina and her co-curator Tammy Walters were looking for an alternative location to host this year’s event, he stepped in, allowing it to grow in scale and scope.
The Forge Art Fair 2024, is set to kick off at the gallery with a private view on November 1, before opening to the public on November 2 and 3.
the Forge Art Fair: curated by artists
“The event is curated by artists to showcase talented creatives – it’s a unique, affordable opportunity for people to immerse themselves in and understand the world of contemporary art,” said Carolina.
“My idea when creating the fair was to bring art from across the UK to east London, but also that it should be connected to the local area.
“As a curator, for me, quality is the most important thing.
“As an artist, someone who is always creating, I want to showcase people who are serious in what they are doing.
“Yes, the work has to be affordable, but it has to be art that says something by an artist that can communicate properly.
“We were very lucky to have a lot of applications to show at the fair and so we had to make choices.
“Even though we are growing, I wanted to ensure the artists are all completely different so there is a real range for people to see.”
a multitude of artists
The Forge Art Fair is set to feature work by Kathy Miller, Venetta Nicole, Alexandra Moskalenko, Miguel Sopena, Dom Holmes, Abi Jameson, Jairo Nicola and Imogen Hogan as well as Carolina, Tammy and Sokari.
The fair has also teamed up with the Women In Art Prize to offer the winner of its Young Artist award space to exhibit.
As a result, Nancy Singh will be showing and selling her work at the event.
While works from all the artists will vary in price, pieces will be available from £50 with the structure of the fair contributing to its affordability, with no third parties placing charges on the artists.
Visitors can expect to see a wide variety of pieces, including Carolina’s 3D paintings and Sokari’s photography, meet the people that created the work and support creativity by purchasing art if they so choose.
“This will be an autumn art experience like no other – from traditional paintings to textiles, multi-disciplinary creations and abstract pieces – it’s perfect for art enthusiasts of all ages from the local area and further afield,” said Carolina.
key details: Forge Art Fair
The Forge Art Fair 2024 will run from November 2-3, 2024, at London Lighthouse Gallery And Studio in Lyell Street. Entry is free.
The gallery is located in the same building as English National Ballet at London City Island and is a short walk from Canning Town station.
There will be a private view on November 1 from 5.30pm. Those wishing to attend should subscribe for updates from the fair organisers.
Find out more about the showcase here
meet the artist: Sokari Higgwe
“When people who are not your friends start buying your work, it’s scary,” said Sokari Higgwe, artist, photographer and gallerist.
The London City Island resident spent two decades working as a database engineer for the Bank Of New York and UBS before turning a passion for his hobby into a career.
“I mostly do abstract architectural photography but also portraiture,” said Sokari. “
I’ve loved both taking pictures and buildings since I was a child, so it was easy to put the two things together.
“In my pieces I want to show aspects of architecture you wouldn’t think about when you just look at a building.
“For years my day job was working in the City for UBS.
“Before that I was in east London, employed by the Bank Of New York, looking after 30% of electronic trading and making sure it was running smoothly – a big responsibility.
“The artist in me was always, there through my hobby. After 20 years I was getting bored and I wanted to express myself creatively.
“But, as a self-taught photographer, I always felt I was an imposter. I wasn’t confident. I’d joined the camera club at UBS and that was where my interest got stronger.
“Then I got a break when a gallery offered to show my work at an exhibition in Mile End.”
Successful solo shows followed and Sokari found himself much more absorbed by his creative work than by the databases he managed.
So he decided to take voluntary redundancy when it was offered and embarked on a new chapter in his life.
“I thought this was my chance to do photography full time,” he said.
“I started looking for a gallery and a studio where I could do portraiture and create art using models and props.
“I opened the London Lighthouse Gallery three years ago, after searching for quite some time.
“London City Island was one of the best places to do that because of the creative community locally and especially as I moved here eight years ago.
“I really love the history of this part of town, knowing it used to be the engine of the country when the docks were operating.
“One of the reasons for opening a gallery was to help promote artists like myself who haven’t gone the conventional route.
“I know it was a struggle for me to get myself out there because I wasn’t a professional. The idea is to have this as a space where creatives can feel free.”
Read more: Canary Wharf unveils Eden Dock at the heart of the estate
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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
