Collect announces artists for Collect Open 2026
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12 November 2025
Collect, the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design, announces the 11 artists selected for Collect Open 2026, its annual showcase of ambitious, craft-led installations. Presented in partnership with Spinocchia Freund, the initiative champions experimentation and storytelling through material innovation.
The Collect Open 2026 artists are Kamilah Ahmed, Amelia Dennigan, Olly Fathers, Katherine James, Jihyun Kim, Chloe Lennon, Ella Merriman, Jynsym Ong, Hanna Salomonsson, Zofia Sobolewska Ursic, and Oriel Zinaburg.
Their installations span embroidery, ceramics, silversmithing, furniture, and woodwork — each exploring personal, ecological, and cultural narratives. Highlights include embroidered celebrations of Dhaka’s skyline, revived rush basketry, fungi-inspired ceramics, and ceramic totems honouring ancient trees.
This year also introduces the Collect Open bursaries, supporting UK-based artists from global majority backgrounds. The inaugural recipients — Kamilah Ahmed, Jihyun Kim, and Jynsym Ong — reflect Collect’s commitment to diversity, innovation, and access in craft.
Collect Open 2026 runs at Somerset House from 26 February to 1 March 2026, with preview days beginning 25 February. Tickets go on sale mid-January 2026.
““Our eleven artists push the boundaries of their chosen materials, while expressing ideas of personal resilience, cultural heritage, ecological vitality and social change,” says TF Chan, Director of Collect. “Together they offer a wonderful reflection on the richness and relevance of contemporary craft and design.””
- TF Chan
