LONDON.- The Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia returned to Kensington, London from the 27th June until 3rd July. Now in its 44th year it is celebrated as the must-attend event in the global art and antiques calendar.

2016 is set to be another fantastic year especially with the introduction of the first European section of the Chicago-based show, SOFA CHICAGO a Sculpture Objects Functional Art and Design Fair – (SOFA.) Dedicated to three-dimensional art and design, SOFA CHICAGO, critically acclaimed and continuously running since 1994, focuses on artworks that cross boundaries of fine art, decorative art and design.

Set within a dedicated area at The Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia, SOFA LONDON provides a platform for an elite selection of global dealers presenting for sale, one-of-a-kind masterworks crossing a diverse range of genres including ceramics, wood, glass, metal and fibre.

Mary Claire Boyd, Fair Director says: “We are very excited to introduce SOFA LONDON as part of The Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia for the very first time this June. SOFA is widely known in the US for its international dealers selling one-of- a-kind masterpieces. Here in London we have an elite selection of dealers who will be showcasing original works from different artists and makers using a variety of mediums. For sale will be works of art including ceramics, metal work, photography, glass works, textiles, furniture and sculptures that appear more contemporary and cutting edge than other pieces in the fair, but yet will also stand the test of time. SOFA CHICAGO attracts over 35,000 people but for those who aren’t able to cross the pond to attend we’re delighted to offer this opportunity within the UK.”

Galleries exhibiting at SOFA LONDON for the very first time will include;

• Andrea Harari-Dickson from jaggedart. Jaggedart is known for its unique and very definite style. Since its inception fourteen years ago the gallery has become renowned for showcasing beautiful, quirky yet sophisticated works of art. The gallery promotes up and coming artists through a varied programme of exhibitions which include painting, photography, works on paper and 3 dimensional pieces. The artists' intense involvement with the creative process, always evident, results in remarkably stimulating pieces. Although they work in traditional media, jaggedart artists use materials in innovative ways: books, maps, audio tape, cement, textiles and embroidery thread are examples. Andrea will be bringing works of art from artists Charlotte Hodes, Jude Tucker, Stuart Redler, Lucas Ferreira, Rachel Shaw Ashton and Kazuhito Takadoi.

Andrea Harari-Dickson comments on exhibiting at the Fair: “It is exciting for jaggedart to participate in the launch of SOFA LONDON. In this way, our beautiful and intricate selection of contemporary art can establish a dynamic dialogue with antique art and objects, through materials and forms. Delicate paper cut outs, meticulous grass and other organic pieces, translucent alabaster sculptures, sophisticated ceramic and delicate prints, all demonstrate the craftsmanship, talent and inspiration of our artists, continuing a tradition of exquisite art making.”

• Tony Pontone from Albemarle Gallery. Located in Mayfair the Albemarle Gallery has a reputation for introducing exciting contemporary painting and sculpture from international and UK based artists. Drawing from an impressive stable of established and emerging artists, the gallery is renowned for its stimulating figurative and hyper-realist exhibitions and its visually stunning sculpture installations. The gallery strives to represent artists whose unique work transcends the aesthetic and challenges the intellect. Many of the gallery’s artists are represented in public, corporate and private collections. The works presented at SOFA LONDON combine sculpture and innovative design by internationally renowned artists Lee Jaehyo from South Korea and Rado Kirov from Bulgaria.

• Leo Duval from Plateaux. Founded in 1996 the Plateaux Gallery specialises in the exhibition and sale of contemporary applied art with studio glass being a dominant feature. The gallery represents many internationally acclaimed glass artists with particular emphasis on Eastern European glass featuring leading-edge sculptures by Vladimir Zbynovsky, Oliver Lesso, Stepan Pala, Jan Frydrych, Tomas Hlavicka, Zoltan Bohus, Pavol Hloska and Laszlo Lukacsi, to name a few.

• Marco Berengo from Italian gallery, Berengo Studio. Berengo Studio is a lively, vibrant and innovative glass-production company that has been working with glass for over three decades. The founder of the company, Adriano Berengo, has made it his mission to push the boundaries of glass-making, so that the work produced in his studio is beautiful, aesthetic and truly contemporary. Berengo Studio has, since the late 1980s, invited some of the most well-known contemporary artists to unleash their creativity and experiment with glass as part of Berengo’s highly skilled glass masters. These dynamic collaborations have resulted in huge benefits for both: artists have been able to see how their ideas can be transformed into extraordinary glass sculptures and craftsmen involved in the production of the work have subsequently developed new techniques to enable them to produce astonishingly cutting edge, exciting works of art.

• Fashion Illustration Gallery. Fashion Illustration Gallery (FIG) was founded in 2007 in order to promote and sell original art works and prints made by artists who have worked as fashion illustrators. Now FIG are the world’s leading dealers in contemporary fashion illustration and they’ll be attending The Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia where beautiful pieces are on display from artists including; new drawings from David Downton’s Couture Archive, recent works by Barbara Hulanicki, oversized pieces made for publication by the brilliant Gladys Perint Palmer, unique prints by Hiroshi Tanabe, drawings for Selfridges by Tanya Ling and works made by for the New York Times by Richard Haines. The market in unique works by fashion illustrators is emerging and the opportunity to buy the best pieces by the worlds most talented is here. Prices start at £750 and rise to above £10,000.

• Arusha Gallery. Agnieszka Prendota has taken a stand at The Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia where she is showcasing contemporary pieces of art from internationally recognised artists.

• Rug Art. Rug Art is displaying beautiful, customised rugs at the Fair this summer. Customers at Rug Art have complete control of the creative process when making a purchase. They can choose from their pre-existing designs or can have a design specially created for their home. Shape, colour, scale can all be modified making every purchase truly unique. High quality materials will always be used for the construction of their rugs.