PAD London 2019, Berkeley Square

The first week of October sees galleries, museums and art fairs flinging open their doors and welcoming the flocks of collectors, curators and art enthusiasts who descend on the capital for Frieze London. Decorative arts and interior design also receives special attention in the capital at this time of year, with the prestigious art and design fair PAD London pitching its famous black tent once again in chic Berkeley Square, Mayfair.

PAD showcases the very best of modern design, alongside antiquities, fine art and jewellery. Whether you're a museologist or a mid-century furniture fanatic, the fair's signature eclecticism caters for all tastes. Even if you're not in the market for a designer table, some Scandinavian glassware, or a classical bust, the fair is worth browsing purely for the range and quality of items on display.


Left: Eleanor Lakelin, courtesy of Sarah Myerschough. Right: Benjamin Poulanges, courtesy of Galerie Negropontes

Highlights this year include Junko Mori, a Japanese born, Wales based maker, who creates intricate works from steel and precious metal. Her sculptures are incredibly labour intensive, not to mention beautiful, and take inspiration from undulating natural forms. Mori's status as an exceptional maker is beyond doubt; one of her sculptures is housed in the Japanese Gallery in the British Museum.

Also exhibiting at this year's fair is woodturner Eleanor Lakelin, whose work is uniquely sensitive to the material she uses. Recently, she has concentrated on carving vessels, working the wood in a way that is so masterful, the finished products look as though they have been moulded from clay. Look out, too, for the dramatic ceramics of French maker Benjamin Poulanges, whose art is inspired by nature's turbulence. Poulanges distorts classical shapes, and uses the resulting pieces as a canvas for his expressive painting.


Left: Ayala Serfaty. Courtesy of Galerie BSL. Right: Junko Mori, courtesy of Adrian Sassoon, London

PAD (Pavilion of Art and Design) was founded in Paris in 1997 and opened its first London edition in 2007. With the recent launch of younger sisters PAD Geneva and PAD Monaco, the fair is now regarded as one of the most impressive in Europe. So don't miss out on this chance to see the very best of art and design, old and new.