Recently, I had the privilege of seeing Tékhnē, an exhibition curated by the UK arts organisation Intoart, hosted by Sotheby’s for London Craft Week. The exhibition featured work from eight London artists with learning disabilities, neurodivergence, and autism. The collection included art, weavings, furniture, clothing, and ceramics. Based in Peckham, Intoart has a 25-year history as an arts organisation, alternative art school, and pioneering design studio that brings learning-disabled artists to the forefront.
With the Intoart curators, Ella Ritchie and Sam Jones, and a selection of artists in attendance, the audience was guided through the room with presentations demonstrating the technical aspects of the artworks and the artists themselves discussing inspiration, process and material choices.
Tékhnē (which translates from Greek as ‘art, skill, or craft’) brings new contributions to the diversity, legacy and heritage of craft. The works on display exemplify the depth and variety of Tékhnē that its artists have mastered. This includes technical proficiency, design execution, and creative conceptualisation. Moreso, the exhibition strikes the viewer with its fierce use of colour, freedom of expression and strong sense of culture.
I had the pleasure of meeting and hearing from artist Danielle Green, whose weaving and embroidery works draw on indigenous totemic symbolism; and sound and drawing artist Nick Fenn, whose works are inspired by landscapes, including Redcar, which heavily influenced Ridley Scott’s famous film, Blade Runner. Furniture designer Andre Williams told us how characters from Super Mario Brothers inspired the colours and textiles behind his turtle chair and frog stool designs.
Other artists in the collective include Lisa Trim. Her amazing embroidery adorns screenprinted linen garments, and the detail will take your breath away. Mawuena Kattah’s portraits and ceramic glazed pots ooze warmth in hues of chocolate and tangerine. We see more ceramics by Clifton Wright, who uses plates as canvases for unpredictable portraits. Christian Ovonlen presents a vast array of works ranging from printed textiles to powerful pencil drawings, which utilise white and black to full chiaroscuro effect.
Artist Jordan Moody captures modern market scenes across London on vibrant terracotta tableaus and street-life drawings. Both of which are perfectly documented in a short film that follows him on a photography trip, as he meets market stall owners and captures the vibrancy of local communities.
Intoart stands out as a visual arts organisation that brings equity, visibility, and opportunity to learning-disabled and autistic artists and designers. Because of the barriers in society and in arts institutions, their work supports artists in “creating their own professional pathways and having a voice”, says Intoart co-founder Ella Ritchie.
Organisations such as Intoart and ActionSpace, which have worked with artists such as Andrew Omoding and the current Turner Prize-winning artist Nnena Kalu since 1999, are enabling artists with learning disabilities to take up space in prestigious museums and institutions such as Sotheby’s, which, through their very nature, bear the mark of exclusion. These happenings signify a shift in the arts industry, the initial severing of a long-standing bias about who creates great art. Tékhnē is designed to confront the question “who should be included in the story of craft,” says Ritchie. “What Intoart introduces to craft is an explosion of new ideas.” Ideas the public wants to see.
Alongside workshops for artists to explore new and highly specialised techniques such as fine embroidery and weaving, Intoart also receives commissions through its dedicated design studio, Trifle, which has worked with the likes of Lush and John Smedley. They also conserve over 6000 artworks on their premises, creating a legacy for disability arts. This legacy ensures that the design potential of neurodiverse artists extends beyond the personal and into the homes and exhibition spaces of international audiences.
To see the works for yourself, head to their online gallery. To support the organisation, you can donate here.
Words by Claudia