For art aficionados and design devotees alike, PAD London is a staple of the fair calendar, and this year has proven a treasure trove in particular for those with an eye for sculptural shapes. From smoothly spiralling watches to angular armchairs and spiky cactus-esque ceramics, tactility abounded.
Here are our pick of the best and brightest pieces.
1/ ‘Bloom of Joy: Bloomtopia’ (2025) by Ahryun Lee
To mark its debut at PAD, the Beirut-based PIK’D – the first Middle-Eastern gallery to exhibit at the fair – showcased a colony of flamboyant, playful pieces by Ahryun Lee. Born in Seoul, she studied in London and explores childhood and nostalgia through jovial, almost anthropomorphic ceramics.
At Pik’d
What to Read Next
2/ Undercurrent’ series by Lydia Gifford
The London-based artist paints abstract landscapes so densely textured they are almost topographical, an effect she achieves through the meticulous layering of slow-drying oil paint and pastels. “A lot of what I do is related to digging and earth,” she says. The colour palette, informed by combinations found in nature, may be serene, but Gifford’s expressive mark-making imbues her pieces with a quiet power, hinting at an undercurrent of roiling emotion.
At Tristan Hoare
3/ Archive ‘Serpenti’ watch by Bvlgari
A sparkling, diamond-studded edition of the Italian house’s iconic design, the Serpenti draws on the snake motif that is not only celebrated across multiple cultures, symbolising rebirth and protection, but also echoes the snake bracelet that Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, is often depicted wearing.
At Karry Berreby
4/ ‘Paper Chair’ by Faye Toogood
The creative polymath Faye Toogood has deservedly been awarded the PAD Contemporary Design prize for her ‘Paper Chair’ – made, in fact, from cast aluminum and acrylic paint. It was a key part of her takeover of the Friedman Benda booth titled “Magpie’s Nest”, for which Toogood took inspiration from Charlotte Perriand’s quote, “Pebbles, bits of shoes, lumps of wood riddled with holes, horsehair brushes – all smoothed and ennobled by the sea”. The result was a treasure trove where organically-shaped pieces sat alongside foraged objects.
At Friedman Benda
5/ ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ sideboard by Gaetano Pesce
A glorious example of the late Italian architect Gaetano Pesce’s progressive approach to post-modern design, the bulging, psychedelic sideboard, shaped voluptuously from resin, celebrates the joy of curves, asymmetry and imperfection.
At Galerie Pulp
6/ ‘Elements’ by Joana Schneider
With a background in fashion and textile design, the German artist weaves together reclaimed martime ropes along with threads from upcycled plastic, naturally dyed, to shape her delicate, glossy wallhangings.
At Rademakers Gallery
Other Articles
No Comment! Be the first one.