Independent Oxford Christmas Market: Sarah Wiseman Gallery

Sarah Wiseman Gallery will be joining us for this year’s Independent Oxford Christmas Market at Turl Street Kitchen on 1st & 2nd December. Joining a host of other indie-retailers such as Shop at the Old Fire-Station, Exclusive Roots and Eagle Vintage, Sarah Wiseman Gallery is excited to offer a beautiful range of prints, ceramics, crafts and more besides, in an exciting weekend city centre pop-up.

Artists include:

Clare Nicholls (Ceramics)

Clare Nicholls is a natural story teller; her ceramic works are heavily based within an internal narrative that draws upon themes of nature, the grotesque, entomology and fairy tales. Her snow-people collection has become an annual sell-out at Sarah Wiseman Gallery, with little snowy characters becoming part of Christmas traditions in many Oxford homes. Each one is hand sculpted by Clare, before being decorated by hand in intricate detail.  From £32

David Rhys Jones (ceramics)

Specialising in ceramic combined with photography and printmaking, David Rhys Jones creates sculptural works in miniature and large scale. His inspiration is drawn largely from the urban landscape, marking pathways left behind by generations of occupants. By setting out on pre-planned walks with his camera, he documents the peculiarities of our city streets that may not be immediately apparent to most passers-by. His ‘Oxford’ series will be on show at the Oxford Indie Market, a collection of quirky wall-mounted ceramics with imagery from famous and hidden Oxford landmarks. From £35

Jane Muir

Jane Muir’s ceramics are filled with an eccentric humour. They are made with a sensitive human touch that speaks to the viewer, who at once recognises something, or someone in each one. The gentle colours of her glazes allow the rough texture of the clay to shine through, lending a soft, chalky quality to her work.

The Little Ladies and Little Men series began life as a way for Jane to test colours out for larger pieces. But, like lots of experiments in the studio, they soon began to become pieces of work in their own right. Jane, by her own admission, is experimental in her approach to colour mixing and this is reflected in the expressive feel of each piece which often includes numerous textured surfaces and glazes. From £55

Emma Williams (ceramics)

Emma makes low fired decorative ceramic bowls in her Nottingham studio from black & terracotta clays using the press-moulding process. She also makes brooches, which are  cut from hand rolled slabs of clay.

After applying slips and biscuit firing the work at 1000ºC she dips and pours on a range of glazes, including vibrant matt turquoise and purple barium, and textured ‘crawl’ glazes, so called because they pull or ‘crawl’ away from the clay surface as my electric kiln heats up to 1055ºC.

Emma’s delicate ceramics are a joy to behold with jewel-like greens and blues contrasted with rich browns and earth tones. From £30

Angie Lewin (Printmaking)

Artist, printmaker, textile designer and horticulturalist, Angie Lewin’s work encompasses an astonishing range of disciplines and techniques, working in wood engraving, silkscreen, lithography as well as creating pattern for wall papers, ceramics and textiles.  Her eagle eye for the detail in plant life and nature is at the heart of her work, pattern and rhythm of natural forms, all observed in intimate detail. She is particularly drawn to plants with strong, architectural shapes and lines, choosing the prickly head of a thistle or a crown of agapanthus. A gorgeous range of Angie’s intricate wood-engravings will be available at the Oxford Independent Christmas Market. From £95

Clare Halifax (Printmaking)

Clare Halifax’s printmaking contrasts extraordinary detail with wide open space and scale combined with abstract pattern. She is an observer of urban environments that teem with buildings, life and activity, often taking in large vistas or aerial views. Her series of Oxford prints explore the famous spires and rooftops that characterise the city, as well as its large open green spaces.

There will be a selection of silkscreen prints from Clare’s Oxford series on show, with Clare’s idiosyncratic drawing style perfectly capturing Oxford’s unique skyline! From £120

Jane Walker (Printmaking)

Jane studied illustration and printmaking at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee before following a career in Graphic Design at the BBC in London. In between she designed textiles and ceramics in Portugal and illustrated magazines in her native Scotland. She has now come full circle and returned to her first love, printmaking and particularly linocuts. Jane uses the reduction linocut technique to produce handmade limited edition prints. These linocuts are made using a single block. Through each stage of cutting, inking and printing the image is revealed as the actual block is destroyed. From £225

We’re so excited about this years market and have a great selection of awesome indies to kick your Christmas shopping off to a good start! The Christmas Market will run from 10 am – 5 pm on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd December.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Love, Rosie xxx