Names to watch!

We are so excited to welcome three new artists to The Secret Arcade - Claire Brewster, Helen Musselwhite and Justine Smith. All three create brilliant pieces primarily using paper as their chosen medium - from discarded maps, richly coloured papers and discontinued bank notes. If you are interested in collecting contemporary art then we urge you to consider any of these incredibly talented artists who are gaining a substantial and international following.

Claire Brewster

Claire Brewster's work is about retrieving the discarded, celebrating the unwanted and giving new life to the obsolete. Claire uses old and out of date maps and atlases as her fabric with which to create her intricate, delicate and detailed cut outs. The image above shows 'Demanding East' 2010 - a cut page from London street atlas, pins, foam board, box frame 44 x 34 cm. To view or purchase the work visit Claire Brewster at Shop No. 1 in the Art passage at The Secret Arcade.

Helen Musselwhite

By the use of bold colour, strong graphic line and familiar images Helen creates highly individual and visually appealing pieces of art that make an instant impact. Her work has a distinctive hand crafted quality that pays respect to all forms of mid century design, folk and ethnic art, as well as current and future trends. Each piece combines the hand cutting, folding and scoring of a wide range of papers and card that are further worked on to create patterned and textured surfaces. They are then used to build scenes in box frames which are often complex and consist of many layers. To view or purchase the work visit Helen Musselwhite at Shop No. 2 at The Secret Arcade.

Justine Smith

Paper has always been a primary material in the work of Justine Smith. Her current work is concerned with the concept of money and how it touches almost every aspect of our lives. She is interested in money as a conduit of power and also in the value systems with which we surround it. On a physical level a banknote is just a piece of paper, but it is what a banknote actually represents that is central to Smith’s work. Through her collages, prints and sculptures she examines our relationship with money in a political, moral and social sense, whilst also exploiting the physical beauty of the notes. To view the work visit Justine Smith at Shop No. 3 at The Secret Arcade.

New Home and Interiors shops at The Secret Arcade

There are three great new homewares shops to browse at The Secret Arcade. Whether you are searching for unusual wallpaper, stylish cushions or bespoke textiles you will find something to tempt you!

Turner Pocock Cazalet
Turner Pocock Cazalet create incredible wallpapers that use a wide range of motifs from jumping zebras to vintage cricket bats and tennis rackets. What all of their designs have in common is a great stylishness that works incredibly well in both contemporary and traditional contexts.

Lynsey Jean Henderson

Lynsey Jean Henderson is inspired by the flora and fauna of the Scottish highlands and lowlands creating her uniquely quirky designs that she transforms into fantastic wallpapers and textiles - her shop is a must for all lovers of unusual interiors.

Natural History: Origin Of Style
Sarah Lidwell-Durnin is the power house behind this fabulous store. Influenced by her childhood visits to the Natural History Museum in Dublin, Sarah has curated an amazing collection of decadent homewares and uniquely quirky accessories.

To view all of the shops visit the Home and Interiors Passage at The Secret Arcade.