Christian Ovonlen wins 2022 Brookfield Properties Craft Award
24 February 2022
The artist, represented by Intoart, scooped the major prize at a ceremony at Collect art fair
24 February 2022
Now in its third year, the Brookfield Properties Craft Award is one of the most significant craft prizes in the UK. It recognises an artist who has substantially contributed to the story of contemporary British making.
To rapturous applause, Christian Ovonlen was announced as the third recipient of the accolade at a ceremony at Collect art fair on Thursday, 24 February, winning for his imaginative, handcrafted print techniques and silk garments.
As part of the award, Ovonlen will have a solo show at two of Brookfield Properties' London buildings, 99 Bishopsgate and Aldgate Tower, from 1 June to 22 September. Artworks from the artist’s Ballets Russes and Botanical Silk series will also be acquired for the Crafts Council Collection.
This will be the artist’s first solo show and the first acquisition of his work for a major national collection.
Ovonlen has been a member of Intoart since 2013. Based in Peckham, south London, the organisation is a collective of artists and designers with learning disabilities that was established in 2000 by co-founders Ella Ritchie and Sam Jones.
“Having exhibitions of my work makes me proud. I close my eyes and imagine being at the theatre, in the audience, scared of the dark, and then happy when the stage lights shine”
- Christian Ovonlen
Christian Ovonlen at Intoart studio. Photo: Alun Callender Detail of work by Christian Ovonlen. Photo: Alun Callender
Known for his use of bold colours and lavish textures, Ovonlen begins by drawing designs inspired by performers and stage sets. He then translates these works on paper onto textiles, using craft techniques to create printed silk fabrics that hang vertically. The new collection he is presenting at Collect 2022 uses a process he developed over a nine-month period, from April to December 2021.
“We were immediately blown away by the colours and movement in Christian’s work. His figures appear to lift off the silks, dancing across the fabric, bold in line and brushwork”
- Saff Williams, curatorial director, Brookfield Properties
Ovonlen was one of five makers shortlisted for the Brookfield Properties Craft Award, who were selected from 350 artists showing at the 2022 edition of Collect, the leading international fair for contemporary design and craft. The other shortlisted artists were Anthony Amoako-Attah (represented by Bullseye Projects), Dawn Bendick (represented by Joanna Bird Contemporary Collections), Cecilia Charlton (represented by Candida Stevens Gallery) and Irina Razumovskaya (represented by Officine Saffi).
Ovonlen follows 2020 award winner Matt Smith (represented by Cynthia Corbett Gallery) and 2021 winner Anna Ray (represented by House on Mars Gallery).
The Brookfield Properties Craft Award was established in 2020 as part of Brookfield Properties' mission, over the past three decades, to champion the creative industries. The global business stages hundreds of cultural experiences and exhibitions across its properties annually, all free to the public.
Ovonlen's work can be seen at Collect on Artsy.net until 6 March.
