Shortlisted for The Fabric Award: International Design and Architecture Awards

‘My Country’ botanical velvets - left to right Rosie Pink, Betty Pink, Daisy Brown, Lilly Green, Melita Dusty Pink

Exciting news! Bay Gallery Home’s innovative fabric collection has been shortlisted for a major award at this year’s International Design and Architecture Awards.

Our ‘My Country’ range has been chosen by the events’s curators, Design et al, to vie with famous brands like Liberty Fabrics for the prestigious Fabric Design Award. The winner will be chosen by a judging panel of 26,000 industry professionals and announced at the awards show in London in September.

The ‘My Country’ interiors collection has taken five years of dedication and investment to build and it is a joy to see it being recognised. It has been created against sometimes difficult challenges, including the pandemic, Australian wildfires, personal tragedies and, in the fabrics case, manufacturers going out of business just as the first prints came off the press, leaving me to start all over again.

So much has been poured into this creation, with us often to’ing an fro’ing across the world to spend days and nights in the car driving around our desert communities in search of beautiful Aboriginal artwork. It has a been a real family effort too - my mother is always at the wheel (driving 3000km from Brisbane) and my children squished into the back for the long journey from Alice Springs to “Outbush”.

Lots of adventures were had including my Mum greeting us at Lasseter’s Hotel in Alice in 2017 with a lump the size of a grapefruit on her lower leg. “Oh, don’t worry,” she shrugged as she helped load our bags into the boot. “It’s just a snake bite I got sleeping in the swag on the way here.”

There have been many hours spent slogging up and down the motorways of the UK searching of the right designers and manufacturers capable of making a product that can compete against the worlds best design houses.

‘My Country’ is a collection of 12 breathtaking designs - all taken from the work of some of the most talented artists among the oldest continuous race on Earth - on a range of five fabric bases. They are suitable for upholstery and soft furnishings including cushions, lamps and curtains.

Thank you to all those who have collaborated with us and bought from us over the years. We hope you agree it’s been worthwhile.

Wish us luck!

‘My Country’ fabrics are from paintings by: Lilly Kemarre Morton (Lilly Green) , Betty Pula Morton (Betty Pink) , Alana Ngwarraye Holmes (Alana Pink), Daisy Kemarre Turner (Daisy Brown), Joycie Pitjara Morton (Joycie Yellow), Michelle Pula Holmes (Michelle Blue), Rosie Ngwarraye Ross (Rosie Pink and Rosie Blue), Ruth Nungarrayi Spencer (Ruth PInk, Ruth Blue, Ruth Red) and Sarah Napurrurla Holmes (Bush Onion).

Images of some of them are below (left to right): Michelle Pula Holmes, Lilly Kemarre Morton, Betty Pula Morton, Rosie Ngwarraye Ross and Ruth Nungarrayi Spencer.

Photograph credits: Alexandra O’Brien, Adam Carter & Lara Damiani Think Films

Valentine Day Gift Ideas

Bay Gallery Home has many new gorgeous imported chinaware designs. Particularly lovely are the scented candles in fine bone china bowls featuring artwork by Aboriginal artists Coral Hayes Pananka and Nora Davidson.

The candle scents are devine!

There are many other Valentine gift ideas on our website including teapots, mugs, milk jugs, sugar bowls and platters, vases, cushions from the ‘My Country’ interior and of course our amazing original artworks by our Central Desert artists.

You can visit our Tetbury art gallery seven days a week or click below to visit our online shop.

Christmas Gift ideas - 'My Country' Aboriginal art cushions!

At Bay Gallery Home our gorgeous ‘My Country’ cushions are flying out the door with Christmas orders for them flying in.

Infused with 70,000 years of ancient culture our cushions bring you back to a place where our connection to earths natural beauty is freshly appreciated. Our cushions designs are translations of Aboriginal creation myths, law, topographical mapping, bush medicine and bush tucker. As each one is translated from Aboriginal paintings you are, in essence, buying an artwork while supporting the Central Desert artists and communities we represent.

The fabric collection comes in 12 different designs seven of which match our wallpapers. You can choose between cotton velvet, poly velvet, avanti linen and cotton fabrics in any of the designs. They are available ready made in 50x50cm, 40x40cm and various sized bolsters all with hidden zippers and feather or poly infills. Or you can order bespoke cushions.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing more Christmas ideas with you including our wonderful upside down umbrellas which are perfect gifts for the people with everything!

Please get in touch with alexandra@baygalleryhome.com or call 077776 157 066 for more information regarding our cushions or making service.

Chairman Interiors - antique and Howard Chair specialists

London clients who want to use ‘My Country’ Aboriginal fabrics for upholstery or soft furnishings can visit Chairman Interiors in their fabulously fun, eclectic Hammersmith showroom as they’ve selected several designs in our ‘My Country’ avanti linens and cotton velvets.

Visitors to the shop can find Rosie Blue, Rosie Pink, Melita Dusty Pink, Betty Pink and Lilly Green samples to choose from. The texture and quality is absolutely beautiful as we utilise the best of British design and manufacturing talent to make them. In fact we’ve just won a British Made Award 2021!

Please order and pick up through the Chairman Interiors showroom.

157-159 Goldhawk Road, London W12 8EN

https://www.chairmaninteriors.net/

email: info@chairmanandson.co.uk
020 8749 9008

Georgian antique sofa at Chairman Interiors with our Betty Pink and Melita Dusty Pink avanti linen cushions.

Artwork is by Central Desert Aboriginal artists Betty Pula Morton and Melita Pitjara Morton

Susan Osbourne interiors - Notting Hill

We are thrilled to share that Susan Osbourne, purveyor of fine French antique furniture now has our cotton velvet and avanti linen samples in her Goldborne Road showroom, Notting Hill.

“Susan Osbourne is one of the leading 19th Century French Chair specialists in the UK, offering chairs, sofas and chaise from our showroom in Golborne Road, with an unsupassed collction in terms of quality, quantity and unique styles. Clients choose their chair or sofa, their fabrics from a range of over 80 fabric houses.”

Among the world’s leading fabric houses you will be able to choose fabric from the ‘My Country' Aboriginal interiors collection. All our fabrics are made in the UK as we aim to support British design, manufacturing and our Central Desert artists, who receive a royalty from all of our sales.

Susan Osbourne’s showeroom is at:

83 Golborne Road, Notting Hill,  W10 5NL

020 8969 6255

http://www.susanosbourne.co.uk/contact/4579782641

Gorgeous new paintings arrived in our Tetbury, Cotswolds Aboriginal art gallery

I love all the paintings I curate for Bay Gallery Home but this consignment is going to be particularly hard to let go. Each painting is simply stunning. From the celestial masterpieces depicting Seven Sisters Dreaming by rising star Athena Nangala Granites to the coloured-concentric circles drawing you into the deep pools of Peggy Napurrurla Granites “Dogwood Tree Bean Dreaming” and the emerging talent of young artist Kurshiah Nakamarra Robinson becoming more evident with each of his Water Dreaming’s, you are completely, utterly spoilt for choice.

We are open this weekend from 1030-1730 Saturday and 1200-1500 on Sunday when you can buy these paintings before they snapped up and go to new homes. They are currently unstretched but are sold ready to hang.

Bay Gallery Home has reopened!

Bay Gallery Home is very excited to welcome people back into our gallery now the lockdown has finally ended for non-essential retail.

This lockdown was harder than previous ones as we barely recovered from the Summer one before being thrust into the next two so it’s with great relief we can reopen giving you the opportunity to see the beautiful paintings we have imported during lockdown in the flesh.

We’ve also used the time we’ve been shut to make more velvet cushions and pouffes. You are going to love them! They feel and look amazing.

Come and feast your eyes on artwork by the oldest continuous race in the world. Indigenous communities across the world were particularly under threat from Covid but as the communities closed, very early on in the pandemic, across Australia they remained safe and in good health. The art centres are cautiously reopening so we’ll have more work arriving over the next couple of months.

Wishing you all the best and look forward to seeing old and new faces in our Tetbury, Cotswolds gallery.

Keep your eyes peeled for fabulous New Art as we are listing paintings

Shorty Jangala Robertson, Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming) this magnificent Shorty has hit the market and we are in the enviable position of having secured it to sell through our gallery.

In preparation for our reopening we have many new paintings winging their way from the Central Australia Desert to our Tetbury Aboriginal art gallery. If you like what you see online don’t miss out as on our last reopening the paintings were snapped up! We send our works ready to hang all over the world via Parcelforce and DHL .

There’s more going up each day on the website. Some will also feature on our Twitter and Instagram feed.

We can’t tell you how excited about having lovely clients back in Bay Gallery Home on 12 April.

Bay Gallery Home introduces our 'My Country: design with origin' Pouffes

Lilly Green cotton velvet pouf in The Ormond Hotel, Tetbury

Bay Gallery Home introduces our luxurious velvet poufs.

Our pouffes are a simple way to complete the appeal of your living space by creating alternative seating immediately enveloping you in comfort. Simple and elegant design with origin.

The pouffe can be paired with our Lilly Green wallpaper to complete your room scheme or you could choose another wallpaper from our collection to create statement design.

The Aboriginal botanical design is taken from an original painting by Lilly Kemarre Morton. It depicts the sacred plants and trees of the Australian outback used by the Aboriginals for the last 60,000 years. Lilly receives a royalty from all the products we make using her design.

If you are in Australia you can purchase our fabrics from our distributor Elliott Clarke under their boutique artisanal EC Collective.

Made to order in the UK from any of our fabrics found on this link:

https://www.baygalleryhome.com/fabric

Lockdown 0.3 - here we go again!

Our Ruth Red Goanna Dreaming velvet cushion on one of the amazing sofas you can find at Treacle George in Tetbury, the Cotswolds.

Sadly we have had to close our doors again but we’re still trading online and by appointment during this winter lockdown. If you follow the gallery safety protocols you can pick up any purchases safely or we can send them to you via Royal Mail, Parcelforce or DHL.

Please keep an eye for new paintings on the website and Instagram, you’ll also be able to see new developments in the ‘My Country’ collection. Our made in Britain new cushion collection is online and we’ve uploaded photos of our made to order ottomans. Fabric is available by the metre so if you want to practice your upholstery or sewing skills we have beautiful fabrics in the gallery you can’t get anywhere else.

Don’t forget Tetbury’s small independent shops during this lockdown. We’re all working so hard to bring you things of beauty you can’t get anywhere else.

We watched with horror as the queue snaked down the road from the post office as people returned lockdown purchases to Amazon. Please shop locally and/or from independents across the UK.

Merry Christmas and New Year 2021

Our new Rosie Blue and Rosie Pink Cushions from artwork by Central Desert artists, Rosie Ngwarraye Ross. These cushion are also on sale at Cotswold Trading, Broadway.

Wishing all our clients, collaborators and especially our wonderful Artists and all the Art Centre staff a happy festive period. The last couple of years have brought Australia many challenges with the fires and now the pandemic. Despite the distances we’re all working hard to bring you beautiful art and new ‘My Country’ interior offerings. We hope you love our work and continue to support the Gallery and everyone we work with.

Bay Gallery Home is open with limited opening hours between 28 December to 31 December 2020. We are open between 1100-1500 (give or take) and open by appointment so please call 07776 157 066 or email alexandra@baygalleryhome.com to arrange a visit.

We have many new exciting developments to share with you so keep an eye on our website.

Lockdown 2.0 - Bay Gallery Home is still trading

Sadly we have had to close our doors but we’re still trading online, and by appointment from Wednesday.

Please keep an eye for new paintings on the website and Instagram, you’ll also be able to see new developments in the ‘My Country’ collection.

Really looking forward to seeing you again in December.

Please don’t forget our small independent shops in the run up to Christmas. We’re all working so hard to bring you things of beauty you can’t get anywhere else; especially China!

Home interiors inspiration

Cotswolds clients bought “his” and “her” paintings for their new extension bringing warm hues to the grey wall creating a warm, cosy space for the winter months.

Since we’ve reopened Bay Gallery Home has been blessed with many visitors who are looking to buy from our Art and ‘My Country’ interiors collection. Simply put many of them were bored of looking at blank walls and wanted something to stimulate them visually while spending extended periods at home. Our Aboriginal art & interiors are steeped in sacred stories and 60, 000 years of history. Clients comment it gives them a sense of peace, grounding them in an ancient world where people lived with their Country rather than dominating it. While some (or most) of us are feeling lost and bewildered separated from family and friends we can immerse ourselves in this incredible culture and seek solace in its beauty and spirituality.

Our gallery’s products suite maximalist room schemes as well as catering to those who like the simplicity of minimalism. You can opt for a carnival of pattern and colour or stump for simple lines using traditional colours depicting desert forms. Over the next few weeks we will be sharing mood board ideas. We also have some exciting new fabrics to share with you and are busy making for a House & Garden shoot.

When buying from Bay Gallery Home you are supporting the Central Desert Aboriginal communities we represent as well as British designers and manufacturers.

For more information about the featured artists please contact alexandra@baygalleryhome.com

Cotswold Life magazine featured Bay Gallery Home in 'Bringing the Buzz back to Tetbury'

Thank you to Tracy Spiers and Cotswold Life magazine for selecting Bay Gallery Home to appear in your Cotswold Life feature ‘Bringing the Buzz back to Tetbury. We have had quite a few visitors who read the article seeking us out afterwards.

Read the full article here:
https://www.cotswoldlife.co.uk/out-about/places/visit-tetbury-best-places-in-town-1-6786749

Here is an excerpt from the article about Bay Gallery Home:

Alexandra opened what is the UK’s only dedicated Aboriginal gallery five years ago and in collaboration with British manufacturers, has created a vibrant international award-winning interior design range called ‘My Country’, using original Aboriginal painting designs.

“It is the only Australian Aboriginal interior collection in the world and it has now made The List - House and Garden bringing Aboriginal interiors to world class interior designers. People are drawn to the colours and patterns and when I explain each piece’s creation myth, it takes them to another place.”

Each painting is multi-layered in terms of its meaning, structure, symbolic and spiritual significance. Within the canvas lies secret business that only the artist and their families are privy to. But what the eye sees is a feast of colour, celebrating and representing a culture and way of life in a land few of us get to see. The relationship and trust Alexandra has built with the people she represents, has enabled her to showcase something rare and special.

“This building is medieval, but what is fascinating is that where we are dates back to Neolithic where people 10,000 years ago would have been painting at Market Place, Tetbury with ochres at the same time as the Aboriginals.

“I think that the town was already impacted by Brexit and I think people need to understand that. As people return, I hope they realise just how many independent businesses we have, each selling so many beautiful things. I do hope the sense of fear lifts and people will come into our shops again,” she says.

More paintings have arrived!

On our website you can see new paintings by some of our many talented artists. They arrived yesterday and we sold one this morning so if you have your heart set on any of the paintings please don’t delay in ordering it.

The pandemic has forced people to reassess their lives in many ways. In the gallery we are finding people wanting to cover their walls in meaningful, exuberant art after staring at them for so long during lock downs across the world. As such we’ve selected artworks which keep you captivated letting your eyes wander aimlessly across the canvas. The new selection is a mixture of bold blues, oranges, greens and reds for those that need an uplift during Zoom calls or afternoons with the children. We’ve also catered for people who need a calming influence after a stressful day with pastel blue, pinks, browns and yellows.

The Aboriginal people have suffered so much but remain incredibly resilient. It serves as an inspiration to us every day to do the best under the circumstances - we’re hoping that the artwork will serve as uplifting inspiration to you too.

Room Style Directions: ABORIGINAL BOTANICAL with Telescope Style

Sugarbag Dreaming by Rosemary Ngwarraye Ross as featured in this months Telescope Style Newsletter

A lush and verdant Australian Aboriginal art canvas provided the inspiration for this room scheme style direction. Blues and greens should ALWAYS be seen, especially against a restful, neutral backdrop with lively pink accents!

Take your cue from any global style – and avoid the dreaded ‘themed room’ – by juxtaposing authentic elements of pattern, colour and form with sleek, modern shapes and materials. Whether your budget stretches to designer pieces or thrift shopping rules – follow the pointers below for a look that is directional and full of personality, yet won’t date.’

Create a calm, pared back space with culturally-infused colour that zings!

1. Start with the art… 

We fell in love with this large scale, original, Australian, Aboriginal art canvas sold amongst many other canvases, by one of our suppliers, Bay Gallery Home. We decided to use it as the starting point for a room scheme. What appealed most was the combination of lush botanical detailing (up close the brushwork on these artworks is just breathtaking) with a lively, verdant colour palette. Vibrant limes, jungle greens, sky blue and pretty shades of pink all accented by electric blue convey the colours of the native Australian flora as seen through Aboriginal eyes.

To read more about how to achieve the perfect themed room follow the link to:

https://www.telescopestyle.com/australian-aboriginal-art/

Thank you to our visitors since we reopened

It’s great to be open again! Yesterday was especially fun and our ‘My Country’ facemasks were flying out the door. Thank you to all those who have visited us over the last two weeks.

Bay Gallery Home has been busy making more small lavender pillows after sending some out to the Neuro Critical Care Unit in Addenbrooks Hospital, Cambridge. We have begun work on a larger lavender pillows so let us know which fabric you’d like it made with via email: alexandra@baygalleryhome.com and we’ll send one out to you. The small lavender pillows are £10 and larger ones £25.

Our protective system for customers is working well so please drop in assured you’ll be safe if you follow the guidelines on the door.

Bay Gallery Home reopening Monday 15 June 2020

Joycie Pitjara Morton cotton blind. Design taken from painting by Joycie.

Bay Gallery Home is reopening Monday 15 June and we can’t wait to welcome old and new faces to our unique Aboriginal art gallery in Tetbury, the Cotswolds.

The Gallery is designed in such a way that it is easy to keep 2m social distance. If you would like to buy from us but you’re uncomfortable coming inside we’re happy to bring paintings, products from our ‘My Country’ interiors collections and our range of home wares outside.

We also have a remote payment system which works outside.

Inside the gallery we have a sink where you can wash your hands or use the gel hand sanitizer provided. Sanitizing wet wipes will also be provided. We ask that if you would like to look at something more closely you let us handle it for you. All products are sold in boxes only handled when unpacked - we do not sell the display items (unless it is the last one).

If you have recently travelled from overseas please make sure you’ve quarantined for two weeks as per our Governments guidance. Tetbury has largely been spared the ravages of Covid-19 by carefully adhering to the Public Health Guidelines. Please help us maintain the health of everyone here and our NHS staff.

Tetbury has a plethora of incredibly interesting independent shops and we are all looking forward to welcoming you to our beautiful Cotswold town.

Brands To Love: A Stunning Home Collection by Aboriginal Artists by Patricia Martin

Patricia Martin is an American author, speaker, and analyst who tracks changes in the culture who recently featured Bay Gallery Home in her blog: Brands To Love.

Posted by  Patricia Martin 

http://patricia-martin.com

Good art is redemptive; just looking at it lights the lamp from within. When a brand meets that standard, it deserves a good long look.

Founded in 2008, Bay Gallery Home was started by former journalist, Alexandra O’Brien. She emigrated from the UK to Australia when she was four, before returning to England 20 years later. The gallery is nestled in the English Cotswolds in Gloucestershire and represents a range of artists from the communities of Australia’s Northern Territory. Featuring a breadth of works by emerging talent, as well as established artists, prices reflect that range from just over $200 to $5,000 US.

The award-winning My Country home collection, provides revenue streams for indigenous artists while expanding global awareness for their art. And oh, the art translated onto these wallpapers and fabrics is alive with flora and wild animals. Bold, beautiful abstracts drawn from Aboriginal mythology and culture explode with colors and patterns from the Australian outback, a place that stubbornly sits on my bucket list. Ms. O’Brien’s passionate approach is living proof that a visionary brand can deliver meaningful value to artists and their communities and everyone prospers. Sublime!

Take a look at Bay Gallery Home’s Australian Aboriginal art, ceramics, wallpaper here: baygalleryhome.com

Artist’s work featured in photo: Daisy Kemarre Turner

Photo Credit: Adam Carter Photography

Rubbish Art - beware buying fake, appropriated or sweatshop Aboriginal art

Athena Nangala Granites, Yanjirlpirri or Napaljarri-Warnu Jukurrpa, (Star or Seven Sisters Dreaming)

Bay Gallery Home often gets approached with people wanting to us to sell Aboriginal paintings they’ve bought. Sadly time and time again we have to inform them that the paintings, despite having [questionable] certificates of authenticity, are from disreputable sources. Most likely they are fake or they have been acquired under sweatshop conditions. Aboriginal artists are particularly vulnerable if they are not working within the protection of an Aboriginal owned art centre.

Bay Gallery Home won’t deal on the secondary market as we only work with art centres ensuring the artists are renumerated for the paintings we sell. We’ve been wanting to write this blog for sometime as it’s evident questionable works are making it into the UK market. There are several reputable dealers in the UK so if you want an authentic work please approach any of us so we can ensure you have a work you can be confident is genuine, you can resell and that you are assured the artist will be compensated for their work.

To help you work out how to buy good Aboriginal art not “rubbish art”:

1. Look up address of gallery and thoroughly go through their website. Many of the questionable paintings or “rubbish art” we are offered are for sale with only a PO Box as the address. Sometimes the sellers name alerts me that something is up. In the 15 years I’ve been dealing Aboriginal art I’ve never come across a gallery operating under the name or the dealers name appearing on the certificates I’ve been shown. Look carefully at the photo of the artist on the certificate. Does the artist look happy? I’ve been shown certificates where the artist clearly looks distressed, others where the artists head doesn’t even appear in the picture. Sometimes the background itself is distressing - a dirty bit of carpet they’ve been sitting on for hours painting an artwork surrounded by shopping trolleys out the back of a building. These should all ring alarm bells.

2. You may be offered paintings by carpetbaggers. Carpetbaggers are people who approach artists and offer them very little money for the paintings then go on to sell them for a large profit. Often these people were professionals who came into contact with Aboriginal communities through their work. The prevalence of carpetbagging is one of the reasons art centres were established.

3. The works should be on good quality linen. If the work is painted black to the edge and the “canvas” feels plastic then it’s best avoided. Art centres do not offer paintings like that. In the past we have been offered paintings like this and could not authentic where or by who they were painted.

4. Beware of sheer bulk of work offered. If you are offered a choice of hundreds of paintings (remember the ones on a plastic feeling canvas) approach with care. Many of the Aboriginal communities are small with 30-150 artists painting at any one time. These works are then chosen by established galleries around the world.

5. If you want an Aboriginal painting try to buy one from a gallery with bricks and mortar not just an online presence. You should be able to see and feel the painting. Ask lots of questions about the stories behind the painting, the artist and the community. A legitimate Aboriginal art dealer will be able to answer all your questions as well as offer you anecdotal stories because they have been to the art centres and met the bulk of artists they represent.

6. Ochre paintings have employed “chemical fingerprints” so as to identify works produced by Aboriginal artists (ochres are mainly used by artists in the Kimberly region). The chemical is mixed with the paint so as to distinguish authentic art from imported art done by non-Aborignal artists.

7. Sometimes people comment that our paintings aren’t perfect. Funnily enough imperfections are what you are looking for in Aboriginal art. Many of our paintings will have bits of the desert in them, human or dog hair and we’ve even had one with tomato seeds! Dogs are central to Aboriginal communities and form an important part of art centre life so are often sitting close to the artists so it’s no surprise their hair makes it into some of the work. While the artists are incredibly gifted with geometric patterns if you have a work that’s gone slightly awry then it’s more likely authentic.

8. Steer clear of sites like eBay where a lot of fakes or paintings done under duress are offered.

9. Cultural appropriation is a major threat to the authentic Aboriginal art industry. Moves have been taken to curtail this, like the Australian Government initiative  ‘Fake Art Harms Culture’, but we ask you to be mindful when buying didgeridoos, boomerangs, digging sticks etc. A lot of these are imported from Indonesia and China. A shocking example of this in the UK was a fake work used in Ricky Gervais’s tv show After Life. The painting used was a copy of a painting by Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri, Tingarri Dreaming (1987). Derek Productions, Gervais’s production company has since paid compensation to the artist and obtained a retrospective license to use the painting. Timna Woollard, the artist commissioned to copy the original art work has said to was among those commissioned for a UK television and prop company in 1989.