I was recently invited to Anthropologie’s King’s Road gallery for a preview of 'Cinder Embers,' the celebrated British textile artist Mister Finch’s solo exhibition and book launch.
I also managed to fit in one or three tea cups of Sipsmith/Champagne Cocktails (above) and some suuuuperb selfies with the artist himself (below). Welllll, it would have been terribly rude not to...
With a background in fashion, this dapper, self-taught artist from t'up North, now sews and creates original sculptures from recycled material, breathing new life and adventure into old velvet curtains, threadbare wedding dresses, vintage aprons, etc. Not only does this make Mister Finch’s ‘storytelling creatures’ beautifully ethical, but utterly charming and magical.
For this particular exhibtion, Mister Finch has taken inspiration from beyond his usual influences of nature and folklore, and instead draws on the story of the celebrated Parisian taxidermy shop Deyrolle. The iconic, famed store burned to the ground in 2008 and the charred remains of the stuffed animals were subsequently captured in haunting detail by investigative photographer Laurent Bochet.
Fifteen soft and mysterious sculptures, including a regal crowned swan and a seven foot sly fox, will be displayed in Chelsea’s Anthropologie until January 4th. If you can’t make it down, do buy Mister Finch’s fantastical debut book, ‘Living in a Fairy Tale World’ (RRP.£30.00), which features stunning imagery of his extraordinary one-of-a-kind creatures – the perfect coffee table addition (click on image below).
