London Daily News: By Kerwin Top Home Art Trends Interview
Shoppers Seek Artwork to Brighten Their Homes and Moods: Artist Reveals the 5 Top Trends for Home Accessories
UK artist Kerwin Blackburn, who has painted for over two decades and sold artwork across the world, reveals how people are increasingly choosing to use artwork in their homes to lift their mood.
In addition to selling his range of prints, merchandise and original artwork online, Kerwin also works on private commissions, which has given him further insight into changing personal tastes and trends. He has exhibited across London in the past year, meeting and speaking with art buyers and will showcase his art in New York with Saatchi Art in June*.
Kerwin has identified how uncertainties in the wider world are influencing how Brits are choosing artwork to adorn their homes, with the five following trends emerging.
1. The “Accesso-rise” for personalisation
Inflation and rising costs of living will make shoppers more price and value conscious. Higher interest rates on mortgages will see more people choosing to “stay and improve” rather than move. This converges with the trend for personalisation, evident in the popularity of monogrammed and engraved items. Artwork and home accessories sales grew by 10% in the last year**, as they offer an affordable way to personalise our environments.
Their impermanence is particularly popular with renters and younger demographics. Almost two thirds of shoppers agree that homeware is a good way to show personality in the home, heralding an interiors trend for artwork and decorative items that reflect hobbies, tastes and favourite music and movies.
2. Vibrancy to overcome house fatigue
After multiple lockdowns and permanent adoption of hybrid and remote working, increased time at home means we tire of our design decisions quicker. Purchasing individual items that can be moved around the home will keep boredom at bay, refresh a space and help divide up zones for professionalism, creativity and leisure. Studies have shown that bright colours have mood lifting properties.
So, to combat monotony and provide positivity, colour palettes for our interiors will move away from muted pinks and monochrome tones to brighten our homes and our moods.
3. The new gallery wall
As a reaction to the unpredictability of world affairs, we yearn simplicity. The previously popular jumbled arrangement of a gallery wall layout will be replaced by uniform sized prints, hung in alignment. We will also see arrangements of only one or two pieces of artwork, which will result in greater demand for larger print sizes, such as 60cm x 80cm, to cover more space.
4. Honouring Pop Idols
In uncertain times, people seek comfort in the familiar. Our favourite musicians and heroes from the stage and screen encapsulate our vision of escapism and success. Expect a resurgence of pop art icon-inspired décor, which was first made famous in the 1960s when we first saw Andy Warhol’s depiction of Marilyn Monroe.
5. Supporting diverse artists and sellers
As an artist with Nigerian heritage – to which he attributes his vibrant and flamboyant use of colour – Kerwin has seen increasing numbers of people actively seeking to buy from and support artists from minority ethnic backgrounds. The Black Lives Matter movement and the Black Pound Day initiative are shifting shopper behaviour; background and brand values has a greater influence on purchase decisions and people want to buy from under-represented sellers. Kerwin has also recognised a growing demand for art featuring well-known black personalities, and best-sellers from his collection feature icons including Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé and Diana Ross.
Artist Kerwin Blackburn comments on the trends:
“The global mood, political landscape and social restrictions of the past two years have had a clear impact on the way we style our homes. I’m a great believer that surrounding yourself with artwork you love has positive, mood-boosting effects. You can see how the search for positivity is influencing this year’s art and homeware trends – bright colours, familiar faces and items that we have a personal connection to – as we look to bring happiness into our homes.
“It is the job of artists and designers to make art accessible to all. Affordable prints and accessories make it easy to love and buy art, which is really important for the industry and also brings joy to both artists and appreciators.”
For the full range of prints, originals and merchandise, visit ByKerwin.com
