PAD London: Treasure Hunting

A handful of esteemed galleries are set to make their debut at this year’s PAD art and design fair in London. 

PAD London was founded in 2007 by fourth generation antiques dealer, Patrick Perrin, as an international fair dedicated to contemporary design in the UK. Seventeen years later, it is an unmissable highlight in the UK capital. Usually taking place simultaneously with Frieze Art Fair, this year’s PAD will be held between October 8-13 in Mayfair's leafy Berkeley Square.

We look at the founders behind the fair’s exciting new class of galleries, in a line up representing the highest echelons of the world of art and design. 

Brazil Modernist 

Gallery Brazil Modernist, founded by Franco-Brazilian couple Caroliny Pereira and Vladimir Matis, specialises in collectible Brazilian design. Based between Paris and São Paulo, the gallery presents a selection of design pieces signed by the leading creators of the Brazilian modernist movement. For this edition of PAD, the gallery is highlighting two talented contemporary designers from the Brazilian scene, Juliana Vasconcellos and Tiago Braga, as well as works by the great masters of Brazilian design such as Joaquim Tenreiro, Jorge Zalszupin and Giuseppe Scapinelli. brazilmodernist.com 

Pradier-Jeauneau 

French furniture dealers Aurélien Jeauneau and Jérémy Pradier are passionate about showcasing French creatives from the 1960s to the 21st century. Their 200-square-metre gallery is in Paris historical design district Carré Rive Gauche and aims to represent the Nouvelle Vague of French design through the language of furniture, architecture or objects. Historical pieces by designers such as Pierre Guariche, Charlotte Perriand, Pierre Paulin, Marcel Gascoin and Philippe Starck can be found at the gallery, while contemporary masters such as Alexandre Clanis, Géraldine Cornette de St-Cyr and Antoine Marquis also take their place. pradierjeauneau.com  

Theoreme 

France’s Theoreme Editions, founded by David Giroire and Jérôme Bazzocchi, is a design gallery located on the garden of Palais Royal. It collaborates with contemporary designers and European craftsmen to create poetic works of furniture and objects. Some of its designers include Pool Studio, Victoria Wilmotte, Wendy Andreu, Hall House, Exercise, Garnier and Linker, Emmanuelle Simon and many more. Executed in noble materials with a rich colour palette, each collection seeks to embody a sculptural, monolithic and minimalist aesthetic. theoremeeditions.com    

Charles Burnand 

Charles Burnand Gallery was founded in 2009 by curator, artist and classically trained woodwind musician Simon Stewart. Located in London’s Fitzrovia Design District, it honours fine craftsmanship while emphasising sustainable materials and production techniques. Outside of artist representations, the gallery offers an in-house design and production studio capable of realising custom commissions through its roster of global artisans, including exhibiting artists, who create bespoke pieces for a network of collectors, interior designers and architects. The gallery’s team of material alchemists understands and upholds ancient techniques, working with a range of mediums, including bronze, cast glass, silver, mica and more. charlesburnand.com  

Gallery BR 

At Gallery BR you might find mid-century chairs by designer Pierre Jeanneret, an abstract painting by contemporary Spanish artist Jordi Alcaraz, or an ancient Roman sculpture from the first century. These sourced objects are housed under the roof of a beautiful three-storey building in Tetbury in the Cotswolds. Pep Boixader and Cuca Riera launched the business in their native Barcelona. “Some galleries create a cold atmosphere through the austereness of the space. We’re trying to counter that. In this gallery, the door is always open,” says Boixader. gallerybr.co.uk 

London Glassblowing  

Founded by Peter Layton in 1976, London Glassblowing is one of the longest-running hot glass studios in the UK. Situated on Bermondsey Street, the studio and gallery have become a hub for glass enthusiasts, artists, and collectors. Layton has spent the past five decades pushing the boundaries of the medium. London Glassblowing has fostered the careers of countless emerging artists and played a vital role in elevating the profile of glass art within the UK and beyond.  londonglassblowing.co.uk/ 

Yoomoota 

Yoomoota, is a collection of art, sculpture and collectable furniture envisioned by Bangkok-based artist Taras Yoom. The multidisciplinary artworks span sculptures, paintings, collectible design objects, furniture, and more. Drawing inspiration from the methodology of the Leonardo da Vinci, the artist engages with art as a means of delving into the intricate interplay between the structure of humanity and the world. Yoom combines natural forms and lines of the human body with animation style and surrealist elements. yoomoota.com  

Movimento  

Founded in 2020 by designers Lorenzo Scisciani and his business partners of the Artefatto Design Studio, Salvatore Morales and Sacha Andraos, Movimento is a contemporary design gallery with bases in both London and Milan. It has a strong focus on emerging brands and independent designers and has been commissioning capsule collections or individual pieces from a global selection of designers to create its core offer. At this year’s PAD, the gallery will show its Marks of Existence Collection, which have been designed nine Movimento artists, each one imprinting their own style and aesthetics into their work. Each piece inherits the culture, inspirations and past experiences of the designer resulting in a piece of work that tells a somewhat coded story of the artist. movimentogallery.com  

Tristan Hoare 

Tristan Hoare, founded in 2009, is a London gallery focusing on young and established artists working in a variety of mediums, such as ceramics, glass, painting, drawing, and photography. The gallery represents emerging artists such as Sydney Albertini, Kaori Tatebayashi, Parme Baratier and Nicolas Lefebvre, as well as more established figures such as Alessandro Twombly, Flavie Audi and Taizo Kuroda. Each year, the gallery curates an ambitious exhibition with an overarching theme. Geometrica (2018), Botanica (2019), Folds (2021) and The Conference of the Birds (2022) enabled collaborations with a range of artists and galleries. The gallery is in an original Georgian townhouse at 6 Fitzroy Square, London. tristanhoaregallery.co.uk 

Bryan O’Sullivan 

Based between London and New York, the work of Irish designer Bryan O’Sullivan can be seen in luxury residences and superyachts all over the world as well as in bars in London’s The Connaught and The Berkeley Hotels. Last year Bryan O’Sullivan Studio (BOS) unveiled its debut collection of furniture, lighting, and objects: curvilinear shapes, rich textiles and innovative materials are the hallmark of the collection, crafted in an array of finishes: burl wood, Irish crystal, brass, nickel, onyx, resin, hand-hammered iron, and glass. Bouclé wool, jacquard, brocade, and leather are used extensively to add warmth and texture to designs that are forward-thinking yet reflect a blend of classical, This year the collection will make its debut at PAD, London – with a range of new pieces inspired by the classical proportions of French and Italian architecture from the 1940s, 50s and 60s. bryanosullivan.com 

Aequo

Mia Karlova

Founded in 2020 by interior architect and curator Mia Karlova, this Amsterdam-based gallery aims to foster a dialogue between works of various genres through a common emotional language. Making its debut at PAD with Why Not – an exhibition that sparks a thought-provoking conversation, the gallery will showcase an eclectic mix of international artists – Olga Engel, Sho Ota, Vadim Kibardin, Andriy Voznicki, Jesse Visser, Olga Malygina, and Olexandr Pinchuk – each driven by a passion for emotional storytelling and environmental consciousness.