Photo: Courtesy Sarah Myerscough Gallery
The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF)—the world’s leading organization for fine art, antiques, and design—recently held its annual takeover of Maastricht, the Netherlands, drawing collectors, dealers and arts enthusiasts from around the globe. Featuring 270 vetted vendors and spanning 7,000 years of art, from ancient to present day, the breadth of artistry on display is immense.
Ever on the hunt for fresh talent to people our pages, Luxe spent the better part of the VIP Early Access Days wandering the contemporary galleries. A theme soon emerged among our favorite discoveries: all were the handicraft of practicing female artists.
Below, 4 contemporary female artists plucked from the floor at TEFAF Maastricht 2024 that we can’t stop talking about.
TEFAF 2024 Highlights: New Works By Contemporary Female Artists
Photo: Jitske Nap. Courtesy Jennifer Tee and Tina Kim Gallery.
Jennifer Tee
Bringing to mind the marquetry pieces in the nearby antiques galleries with a decidedly fresh perspective was Jennifer Tee’s Tampan World Mountain, Tree Of Life, 2021 at Tina Kim Gallery. Inspired by traditional cloths from her ancestral Indonesia, the subject matter is rendered in delicate strips of tulip petals as a nod to her home country of the Netherlands, resulting in a graphic marvel for the subtler flower enthusiasts among us.
Photo: Courtesy Sean Kelly.
Gloria Cortina
It was impossible to ignore Gloria Cortina’s monolithic art furnishings at Sean Kelly and Charles Ede’s collaborative booth, where the Mexican-American designer’s modern forms sat in conversation with ancient Greek artifacts. Carved from a single slab of mesmeric red onyx, the Fidus chair stole the show with its ineffable character, surprisingly comfortable seat and integrated armrest that procurs a perfect cocktail perch.
Photo: Gilles Mazzufferi. Courtesy Galerie Karsten Greve Köln, Paris, St. Moritz.
Georgia Russell
Georgia Russell’s Open Work II (blue), 2023 stuck out among the numerous arresting fiber artworks on view at TEFAF Maastricht this year, commanding a premiere spot at Galerie Karsten Greve before being purchased by a private collector. Composed of delicate, sheer strips of ice blue organza bedecked with acrylic paint, it’s repetitive, subtle movement evokes the surface of water—and the effect upon viewing is similarly soothing.
Photo: Courtesy Sarah Myerscough Gallery.
Eleanor Lakelin
The gnarled burls of fallen horse chestnut trees are rendered beautiful at the hands of sculptor Eleanor Lakelin, whose recent works for London’s Sarah Myerscough Gallery are bleached or blackened and carved into silky-smooth totems that celebrate the dramatic character of the wood. At an imposing human scale, Vessel #1 (Soma), 2024, a new piece created for specifically for the showcase, was an unforgettable highlight.
Visit TEFAF New York In May 2024
Just a small sampling of the many-numbered artists on view, the diversity in design of this roundup embodies the scope of the fair and highlights its status as a comprehensive access point for seasoned collectors as well as those just dipping their toes into the art world waters. There is in fact something for every taste set and passion point—a declaration to be tested stateside when TEFAF lands at New York City’s Park Avenue Armory from May 10–14, 2024. Plan your visit to TEFAF NYC here.
