Twenty of Scotland’s top makers, including Tait and Style from Orkney, have been selected to join over 300 UK and international designer-makers to showcase their work at Origin: The London Craft Fair.

Origin is a brand new contemporary event which replaces the prestigious Chelsea Craft Fair and will take place at Somerset House in central London from 3 – 15 October. The Crafts Council, in partnership with Somerset House has commissioned a specially built pavilion for the inaugural fair which will showcase some of the finest handmade contemporary craft and applied arts to an international audience of buyers, curators and craft collectors.

Twenty Scottish makers have been selected to participate at the event, including Lise Bech who uses a range of natural resources for basketmaking including heather, fieldrush and hairmoss, Fiona Allardyce-Lewis who creates hand painted wooden items using inks and watercolours and James Donald whose woven scarves and shawls in Shetland yarn, inspired by the colours of the Scottish land and seascapes, boasts actress Susan Sarandon among his customers.

Makers from Scotland who have not previously exhibited at Chelsea Crafts Fair will be eligible for support from the Scottish Arts Council to participate at the event and a number of the other makers attending have previously received professional development grants from the Scottish Arts Council, to help progress their careers.

The number of Scottish makers attending may increase in the lead up to the event, as eight further makers have also made the reserve list, including jeweller Alison Macleod and fashion textiles and accessories maker Laura Anderson.

Helen Bennett, Head of Crafts at the Scottish Arts Council said: ‘Origin is set to take over from Chelsea Crafts Fair as the flagship event for excellence in contemporary crafts. The strong presence of our Scottish designers demonstrates the exceptional talent that exists in this country. This event is an ideal opportunity for our makers to showcase this talent to an international audience.

The Scottish makers attending the event are:

Fiona Allardyce Lewis (Thornhill, Dumfriesshire) – Discipline: Wood
Marianne Anderson, (Glasgow) – Discipline: Precious jewellery
Donna Barry (Edinburgh) - Discipline: Precious jewellery
Johanna Basford (Ellon) – Discipline: Interior textiles and rugs
Lise Bech (Cumnock) – Discipline: Basketry
Shimara Carlow (Castle Douglas) - Discipline: Silver
James Donald (Edinburgh) - Discipline: Woven textiles
Lizzie Farey (Castle Douglas) - Discipline: Basketry
Rachel Hazell (Edinburgh) - Discipline: Paper and books
Grant McCaig (Edinburgh) - Discipline: Silver
Adrian McCurdy (Jedburgh) - Discipline: Furniture
Mogwaii (Pathhead, Midlothian) - Discipline: Interior textiles and rugs
Grainne Morton (Edinburgh) - Discipline: Non precious jewellery
Rosy Naylor (Edinburgh) Discipline: Hats
Kaz Robertson (Edinburgh) Discipline: Non precious jewellery
Tait and Style (Orkney) Discipline: Knitwear
Joanne Thompson (Edinburgh) Discipline: Precious jewellery
Andrea Walsh (Edinburgh) Discipline: Sculptural ceramics
Georgia Wiseman (Glasgow) Discipline: Precious jewellery
Naoko Yoshizawa (Edinburgh) Discipline: Non precious jewellery