The San Francisco Bay Space’s artwork and design neighborhood is tight-knit. The artists, designers, and designers dwelling right here all appear to know one another’s names. However yearly in late January, the neighborhood opens its doorways to a global viewers for an artwork week that features FOG Design + Artwork, an occasion that’s develop into probably the greatest on the West Coast for getting a pulse on up to date artwork and design.

Held at Fort Mason Middle overlooking the bay, FOG is beloved by locals, however extra outsiders are beginning to take discover. Its eleventh version includes a hearty mixture of hometown heroes and worldwide newcomers, with 59 exhibitors from San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and farther-flung locales like Paris, Hong Kong, and South Africa.

Cut up throughout two piers with loads of bars and lounges to interrupt up the areas (and gasoline your wanderings), FOG is digestible in a single go to, however will depart you feeling satiated. Photographer Cayce Clifford and I dove headfirst into the preview social gathering and located shocking artwork and design objects throughout media and scale that highlighted a variety of views. Right here’s what stood out at this 12 months’s truthful.

If you happen to don’t take a selfie on the truthful, did you even go?

Kim Mupangilaï and Maris Van Vlack at Superhouse

Final 12 months, FOG prolonged its footprint with FOG FOCUS, a showcase of rising designers and galleries positioned on a neighboring pier. This 12 months, it was as soon as once more buzzing with power (which was at the least partly fueled by cocktails), with a standout displaying from New York’s Superhouse.

The gallery presented an installation of furniture by Belgian-Congolese maker Kim Mupangilaï, who crafted a three-piece seating set inspired by her cross-cultural roots. "It’s an introduction to the links between Art Nouveau and the Congo," Mupangilaï told us. "It’s becoming more and more obvious that Art Nouveau was very inspired by non-Western countries." — The gallery offered an set up of furnishings by Belgian-Congolese maker Kim Mupangilaï, who crafted a three-piece seating set impressed by her cross-cultural roots. “It’s an introduction to the hyperlinks between Artwork Nouveau and the Congo,” Mupangilaï advised us. “It’s changing into an increasing number of apparent that Artwork Nouveau was very impressed by non-Western nations.”

A fiber work by Maris Van Vlack completed the space, suggesting the colors and forms of a stained-glass window. Cayce and I loved how it felt as if it was unraveling and that some of it was see-through—it reminded me that sometimes, the most beautiful moments happen when things feel like they’re coming apart. — A fiber work by Maris Van Vlack accomplished the area, suggesting the colours and types of a stained-glass window. Cayce and I liked the way it felt as if it was unraveling and that a few of it was see-through—it jogged my memory that generally, probably the most lovely moments occur when issues really feel like they’re coming aside.

Yvonne Mouser at Municipal Bonds

One in all 4 galleries representing San Francisco at FOG FOCUS, Municipal Bonds supplied a solo displaying of Oakland artist and designer Yvonne Mouser. Mouser’s items toe the road between operate and pure inventive exploration, which got here throughout in a set of wall-hangings and traditional-feeling furnishings items together with facet tables and a chaise lounge. I appreciated how Mouser’s work felt alternately delicate and durable, with strong kinds punctuated by moments of fragility, as in her Janus Spiritus cupboard, whose doorways are fabricated from tiny sumi ink–painted oak flaps that may open and shut. “I like the duality of one thing being two various things on the identical time,” Mouser advised me. “It simply depends upon the lens you’re wanting by.”

Mouser’s furniture and wall-hangings play with opposites: heavy and light, opaque and transparent, soft and hard. — Mouser’s furnishings and wall-hangings play with opposites: heavy and light-weight, opaque and clear, comfortable and onerous.

Sam Shoemaker at OCHI

OCHI, which has outposts in Los Angeles and Ketchum, Idaho, caught my eye final 12 months at FOG FOCUS with a set of surrealist work by Los Angeleno Ben Sanders. This 12 months, two rows of fungi-inspired sculptures by artist Sam Shoemaker drew me in.

I loved the organic outgrowths on the ceramic pieces, which reminded me of sea anemones I found tide pooling on the California coast as a child. — I liked the natural outgrowths on the ceramic items, which jogged my memory of sea anemones I discovered tide pooling on the California coast as a baby.

Schoemaker is a mycologist, so it’s no surprise his sculptures were inspired by actual mushrooms he propagates in his studio’s laboratory. — Schoemaker is a mycologist, so it’s no shock his sculptures have been impressed by precise mushrooms he propagates in his studio’s laboratory.

Blunk House at FOG MRKT

The primary pavilion was dotted with tables for FOG MRKT, a brand new version to the truthful the place galleries and retailers have been promoting artisan-made merchandise and crafts. A standout was Blunk House, the Bay Space gallery impressed by the legacy of native craft legend JB Blunk.

They had pieces from Alana Burns, a Mexico City artist who I’ve followed for years. Seeing her shell-inspired jewelry and tableware in person only made me more of a fangirl. — That they had items from Alana Burns, a Mexico Metropolis artist who I’ve adopted for years. Seeing her shell-inspired jewellery and tableware in particular person solely made me extra of a fangirl.

Burns makes delightfully whimsical objects such as spoons and combs, often starting with shells. — Burns makes delightfully whimsical objects corresponding to spoons and combs, usually beginning with shells.

Sarah Myerscough Gallery

Wooden was the phrase at an exhibit from London’s Sarah Myerscough Gallery, with the fabric taking myriad kinds within the cranberry-colored sales space. “We love the best way our artists discover completely different natural supplies,” defined gallerist Caroline Pastore of the displaying, which included a global set of designers such because the U.Ok.’s Nic Webb and Eleanor Lakelin, together with a private favourite, Julian Watts from Oregon. In a second when wooden is being touted by many as the fabric that may construct a extra sustainable future, it was thrilling to see the best way designers have been embracing its innate magnificence and infrequently epic qualities.

Wood in its many forms, textures, and colors was the focus here, in a showing fittingly titled "Raw Edges." — Wooden in its many kinds, textures, and colours was the main focus right here, in a displaying fittingly titled “Uncooked Edges.”

Sculptures by Watts sat atop a credenza with rough-hewn doors. — Sculptures by Watts sat atop a credenza with rough-hewn doorways.

Galerie Maria Wettergren

“I felt up to date Scandinavian artists weren’t getting their due,” Maria Wettergren advised me at her FOG sales space, explaining how she got here to ascertain her self-named Paris gallery 15 years in the past. Wettergren now represents a global set of makers, and her first displaying on the West Coast stole the highlight.

Actually Good Word Art—and More Genre-Defying Decor at This Year’s FOG Design + Art Fair - Photo 11 of 20 -

Colorful works oscillated playfully between art and design, like this digitally-composed woven wall hanging by Danish textile artist Grethe Sørensen and an ombre mirrored bench by Boris Berlin and Germans Ermics. — Colourful works oscillated playfully between artwork and design, like this digitally-composed woven wall hanging by Danish textile artist Grethe Sørensen and an ombre mirrored bench by Boris Berlin and Germans Ermics.

AGO Initiatives

Coming into AGO Initiatives’s sales space at FOG felt like strolling into a celebration. The colours have been daring, the furnishings was inviting and exuberant, and the designers and gallerists have been buzzing. Cayce and I left the Mexico Metropolis studio’s exhibit saying, “We love every little thing on this sales space.” AGO usually works with rising artists to assist develop their work, together with Brazilian furnishings maker Rafael Triboli, whose monumental mahogany items with wax and bronze inlays anchored the area.

For their second showing at FOG, AGO presented a raucous array of furniture, textiles, lamps, and mirrors, primarily by Latin American artists. — For his or her second displaying at FOG, AGO offered a raucous array of furnishings, textiles, lamps, and mirrors, primarily by Latin American artists.

A full-length mirror by Guatemala’s Agnes Studio is adorned with ceramic figurines and amulets in crystal in stone. — A full-length mirror by Guatemala’s Agnes Studio is adorned with ceramic collectible figurines and amulets in crystal in stone.

Ane Lykke at Hostler Burrows

Cayce and I couldn’t get sufficient of Danish artist Ane Lykke’s see-through mild field on the Hostler Burrows sales space, though the New York and Los Angeles gallery had a bevy of different beauties on show. Like Maria Wettergren, the gallery began off displaying solely Nordic artists however right now represents a global set.

We loved how Lykke’s piece functioned as a sort of screen with different views through it playfully contrasting the rigidity of its grid. — We liked how Lykke’s piece functioned as a kind of display with completely different views by it playfully contrasting the rigidity of its grid.

Casemore Gallery

Probably the greatest issues about FOG is attending to see up to date Bay Space artwork on full show. Casemore Gallery confirmed works by native artists together with Lindsey White, Raymond Saunders, and Sonya Rapoport. We liked the cyanotype “Cloud E-book” by Sean McFarland and the ceramic phrase sculptures by Finnish artist Henna Vainio, the one non-local of the set.

The smooshed-ness of Vainio’s pieces belied the depth of the aphorisms they spell out, which include: "The more we witness, the less language suffices" and "The more we see, the less we look." — The smooshed-ness of Vainio’s items belied the depth of the aphorisms they spell out, which embody: “The extra we witness, the much less language suffices” and “The extra we see, the much less we glance.”

McFarland’s "Cloud Book" got us thinking about photography and representation; his cyanotype prints are created to look like blue skies but are created without the use of a camera. — McFarland’s “Cloud E-book” acquired us interested by pictures and illustration; his cyanotype prints are created to seem like blue skies however are created with out the usage of a digicam.

Lee ShinJa at Tina Kim Gallery

Though artwork world behemoths like David Zwerner, Hauser & Wirth, and Marian Goodman supplied a stunning array of worldwide artists, a number of the finest worldwide showings at FOG this 12 months have been from lesser-known curators, like Tina Kim Gallery. Korean artist Lee ShinJa was one of many first artists to convey textiles into the world of advantageous artwork in Korea, and her intricate, summary wall-hangings have been mesmerizing. Hold an eye fixed out for a solo displaying of Lee’s work at BAMPFA in Berkeley this fall.