When Will Ramsay founded the fair in 1999 his aim was to make contemporary art accessible to everyone, and to show you don’t need to be an art expert or a millionaire to enjoy and buy art. Ten years on The Affordable Art Fair is the leading showcase in the UK for contemporary art under £4,000 having welcomed over 430,000 visitors who have bought £73 million of art.
How did it all start?
In 1996 Will opened Will’s Art Warehouse in south west London to bridge the increasing interest in contemporary art and the London gallery scene. By concentrating on relatively unknown artists not carrying a premium for reputation, the gallery was able to offer works from £50 – £2,500 from a stable of over 150 artists. The response to Will’s Art Warehouse encouraged Will to take his approach to the next level, and in October 1999 he launched the first Affordable Art Fair in Battersea Park. 10,000 visitors took advantage of the ease of buying, breadth of choice, affordable prices and user-friendly approach.
AAF has also become something of a global phenomenon with fairs taking place in Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels, New York and Singapore, while affiliate events include Sydney and Melbourne. Globally, 783,000 people have visited an Affordable Art Fair, buying over £123 million of art.
Delighted to be one of the artists exhibiting with The Doorway Gallery at the art fair.
