Welcome to the Home of People Who Make and Create!

Last Saturday I took the Victoria Line to Blackhorse Road, an area of London that I had never visited before.  When exiting the tube, I was struck immediately with a sense of the area. A giant red, glittery hearted mural created by Gods Own Junkyard greeted me with the words 'welcome to the home of people who make and create'.

Blackhorse Road, on the edge of Walthmastow is indeed an area, where in the past ten years, creators and makers have moved in. It is not only home to The William Morris Gallery (one of the greatest makers of all time), but also craft jean makers (Blackhorse lane ateliers), local makers, architects and craft brewers.

It was to one such craft brewery that I was headed.  A stroll down Blackhorse Lane and into an industrial-looking zone led me to a long queue for entry into what looked like an ordinary warehouse building - Truman's Social Club. But, one step inside and wow, the outside impression had deceived. 

This abandoned Truman brewery was bought in 2010 by James Morgan and Michael-George Hemus and transformed with clever architectural lighting and interiors into a large and airy cultural centre for small scale brewing, eating, drinking and congregating.

On this particular Saturday (and the reason for my visit) it played host to the DIY Art Market and Independent Ceramics Market. Over 80 emerging and established artists, ceramic artists and diy potters set up their stalls to sell their wares. Music was pumping, the hall was packed with the general public browsing and there was a buzz and a vibe in the air that I had not seen at any event for a while. 

Navigating the room was hard in the crowds, and the stalls sometimes difficult to reach but here are a few of my favourites:

Linocut prints by Bei.Prints

Lily, the artist behind Bei.Prints is UK based but originally from Hong Kong. She creates bold, handmade linocut prints inspired by her Cantonese heritage.

Screen prints by Jacqueline Colley

Jacqueline is a trained illustrator and pattern designer with an impressive portfolio.  Past collaborations have included commissions from big names including Hermes, Kate Spade and Chilly's Bottles. 

At the DIY art market, Jacqueline was selling her playful screen prints of every day objects in bright neon colours and cool typography.

Screen prints by Max Machen

Max is a trained illustrator. He travelled to the market from Glasgow bringing with him a collection of bold and witty digital and screen prints.

Ceramics by Xanthe Maggs

Xanthe graduated in 3D design and craft from Brighton University in 2019 and is now based in South London.  I was drawn to the down-to-earth feel and natural tones of her work. Xanthe can be followed on instagram @xanthe-maggs

Ceramics by Jade Gallup

Working predominantly in porcelain, Jade brought to the market quirky mugs, vases, napkin rings, candlestick holders and platters with splodges of indigo blue and gold. 

Ceramics by Hoy Pottery

Caroline was selling from her table cheery pottery with smiley faces, images of fruit and spots of blue, red, yellow and black. Caroline can be followed on instagram @hoypottery

If you are a keen collector of ceramics or art by emerging artists then a visit to this market comes highly recommended.  The next edition is on 25th September 2022 at Truman's Social Club. Be sure to arrive early and hungry so that you can sample the mouthwatering looking food on offer before browsing your way around the market.