Ceramics, costume and illustration at the V&A
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has opened a new exhibition that will showcase the work of its first cohort of Adobe Creative Residents.
Now open, Artists at Work: Museum Residencies 2024 brings together ceramicist Jacqui Ramrayka, costume designer Luca Bosani, and illustrator Rachel Sale.
The display – based at the South Kensington museum – is the culmination of this year’s Adobe Creative Residency at the V&A, a collaboration with the Adobe Foundation.
Ms Sale, a south-east London based illustrator who works around themes of communication and community organisation.
She founded FAT Studio CIC, a not-for-profit creative studio based in a former shop building in Old Kent Road, Bermondsey.
FAT Studio collaborates with people of all ages and backgrounds for art projects, clubs, workshops, markets, talent shows and publications.
Ms Sale said: “I’ve valued having the chance to put on a display of my work at a national museum.
“It’s been incredibly exciting and pushed me to make the best work possible for me”.
Elsewhere in the exhibition, you will find Ms Ramrayka’s ceramics. For the collection, the British-Guyanese artist has specifically worked with porcelain to create pieces based on memory and grief through the Indo-Caribbean identity.
In her practice, Ms Ramrayka explores how objects can embody these concepts, exploring links between personal and collective memories.
Finally, Luca who specialises in art that you can wear, has invigorated the V&A galleries by bridging traditional craftsmanship and contemporary expression.
A multimedia artist, they conceived the concept of UPOs (Unidentified Performing Objects) to open up categorisation.
UPOs are wearable artworks that sit in between definitions of performance and studio art, aiming to transform both the wearer and the viewer.
Luca said: “The residency programme has enabled my practice to develop in scale and ambition, supporting me in experimental material explorations and fruitful artistic collaborations.
“I had the unique opportunity to learn traditional shoemaking and woodcarving techniques. This allowed me to reconnect with my family’s craftsmanship and apply this acquired knowledge to new artistic projects.”
The Adobe Creative Residents Programme is a partnership between the V&A in London and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
It is designed to give a platform to artists from diverse backgrounds to share their stories, explore ideas, and bring their dreams to life.
Head to the V&A in South Kensington to visit Artists at Work: Museum Residencies 2024.
Pictured top: Rachel Sale who’s illustrations form part of Artists at Work: Museum Residencies 2024 at the V&A (Picture: V&A)