The Emerging Artists of London’s Frieze Art Fair

Just as the fashion industry has fashion week, the art world has Frieze Art Fair, and each year, around every 2nd weekend of October, art lovers, critics and collectors all make their way back to London, where it all started 20 years ago. A zenith in the global art calendar.

Though Frieze is known to host booths by many big-named galleries much like Gagosian, David Zwirner and Hauser & Wirth, this year, there is a heightened emphasis by Frieze London to act as a platform for emerging artists across a variety of generations, cultures and countries, who’s works captivate reactions and often provoke sociopolitical topics. Here are some of Frieze London’s up-and-coming artists who you will now be seeing more of in the art world.

Larry Achiampong

London-based multimedia artist Larry Achiampong consistently draws from his Ghanian roots in his work, whether that be a painting, film making or a live performance piece. Achiampong vividly explores concepts that highlight social class, and cross-cultural and post-digital identity. He “crate-digs” the vaults of history, revealing the socio-political contradictions in the contemporary world. Through his work, he aims to question ideals of identity on both personal and interpersonal levels and how they link to class, race and culture.

The artist’s new series is presented in Frieze London for the first time by the Copperfield Gallery. Featuring striking panel works, Achiampong interrogates whitewashing and racial bias in the gaming and programming world by redesigning popular video game characters and completely changing their visual identities. As games have been a long-time inspiration for artists, this comes as no surprise. The artist wants to challenge society to understand the problematic issues surrounding the lack of diversity within gaming.

Mattia Guarnera Maccarthy

Contemporary painter born in South East London with both Italian and Ghanaian heritage, Mattia Guarnera Maccarthy’s evocative artworks challenge social issues such as religion and race as the exploration of the physicality of the human body and the social dynamics around it within sports. His works often intentionally bring the viewers to contemplate and direct their attention to absurd moments and messages of the human condition.

The artist’s fascination with the human condition stems from his own personal battles with leukaemia as a teenager, which taught him to respect pain as an honest emotion. Harlesden High Street is showing the work of Mattia Guarnera-MacCarthy. His work explores new visions of religion, centred on personal experience and storytelling, and contemporary fashion and the modern-day aesthetics of religion.

Issy Wood

No one in the art world is making moves quite like Issy Wood. This US-born, London-based artist has collectors and galleries clamouring for the beautifully obscure, strangely still views that she depicts in her near-photorealistic paintings. Her work seems to find a static space between realism and surrealism.

The artist’s thematic focus consistently alludes to the subtle and nuanced realm of femininity touched by the patina of time. Her artistic expressions blur the boundaries between the exterior and interior worlds, the digital realm and the tangible, creating a captivating tapestry that is uniquely her own.

Jack O’Brien

A new artist in the scene, Jack O’Brien, another London-based artist whose work was featured in Frieze London’s ‘Focus’ section. A celebrated section celebrating and supporting younger galleries and artists in the early stages of their careers.

In O’Brien’s artistic journey, the exploration of symbols has always played a central role. In his Frieze presentation, the artist delves into the concept of ‘icons,’ embarking on a compelling investigation into the significance of ‘the cherry’ within society. This multifaceted analysis dissects the role of the cherry symbol in the realms of fashion image-making and popular culture. From its use as a stylistic motif and pattern to its emergence as an icon gracing the reels of slot machines and historic paintings, the cherry symbol carries a subtle yet pervasive presence in the cultural tapestry. The artist’s intention is to unlock the underlying quiet power and sensuality that this symbol embodies in contemporary media, lending it an aura of the erotic.