A New Chapter for Polish Creativity: ‘Metamorphosis - Craft from Poland’ Concludes Landmark Debut Residency at Collect 2026

LONDON — At Collect 2026, ‘Metamorphosis - Craft from Poland’ established itself as a definitive highlight of this year’s fair, further strengthening Poland’s creative presence on the international stage with a showcase of radical material innovation – perhaps instead of innovation: experimentation. The exhibition, marking Poland’s debut at Collect, welcomed thousands of visitors including international collectors, museum curators, and art and design enthusiasts, to experience the dialogue between tradition and contemporary craft.

Hosted by the Creative Industries Institute (CII) Poland and presented in partnership with the Polish Cultural Institute in London and On&On Designs, the exhibition offered a serene yet powerful landscape presenting the work of nine artists on a global platform. The installation, curated by Corinne Julius and designed by architects Miśka Miller-Lovegrove and Roman Lovegrove, presented a breadth of creativity that challenged preconceived notions of Poland, displaying a culture that is intellectually rigorous and aesthetically profound.

Metamorphosis - Craft from Poland’ celebrated the creative ingenuity and material exploration of each of the nine exhibiting artists. 

●      Alicja Patanowska presented a limited-edition series of collectible, handmade ceramic tiles derived from her acclaimed ‘Ripple Effect’ installation (V&A 2025), exploring the intersections of visual art and social ecology.

●      Monika Patuszyńska featured pieces from her ‘Study of Deformation’ and ‘From the Bastards’ series, exploring the life of ceramics through intentional cracks, fractures, and reconstructed forms that celebrate the accidental.

●      GRÔPK-Marcin Kuberna revealed coiled sculptural works in the form of raw, unglazed textured stoneware that connects hand and earth.

●      Anna Bera’s organic wooden sculptures with mirrored surfaces explored sensory perception with a joyful playfulness.

●      Maciej Gąsienica Giewont captured the tension of nature through ‘paper-thin’ turned green-wood vessels, shaped by moisture and time to allow the natural grain to dictate their fluid forms.

●      Katarzyna Krej’s delicate wall-mounted glass installations created a constellation of reflection and colour animated by light and shadow.

●      Marcin Rusak presented his signature translucent resin works embedded with real preserved flowers, capturing a permanent state of decaying botanical beauty.

●      Agata Marchlewicz displayed bold contemporary paper cut-outs that reinterpreted the Polish Wycinanki tradition through a modern graphic lens, scaled to large-format works.

●      Formsophy showcased their new ‘Fjor’ and ‘Floa’ consoles, cast in the open using liquid-aluminium with embedded stone, each piece capturing the raw energy of the elements.

Reflections on the Exhibition

Corinne Julius, Curator, notes: ‘Poland’s economy is booming, and that energy is reflected in the creative arts, particularly in craft. The artists I have chosen transform basic materials into something very beautiful and intellectual; their work tells a positive story of how traditional techniques can be used to create contemporary, narrative-driven art’.

TF Chan, Fair Director of Collect, adds: ‘We were delighted to welcome ‘Metamorphosis - Craft from Poland’ at this year's Collect. Poland is home to some of the most exciting creative talents in Europe today. The artists in this exhibition pushed materials in ways that are both bold and inventive while remaining deeply rooted in local traditions’.

Aleksandra Szymańska, Director of the Creative Industries Institute (Poland), says: “This exhibition would not have been possible without the extraordinary commitment, imagination and courage of our artists. I am deeply grateful to each of them for trusting us with their work and for representing Polish craft at the highest level, with such a deep respect for materials and their immense talents. We are equally thankful to TF Chan and Collect team, our partners, curator, design team, whose collaboration allowed us to create a coherent and powerful narrative.

Anka Simone, co-founder of On&On Designs, mentioned: “We were encouraged by the response from Collect visitors, who praised the conceptual strength of the works and the engaging presentation. For us, this marks another milestone in our strategy to present contemporary Poland through creativity, craftsmanship and innovation, in a dialogue with our British partners.”

Following the energetic momentum of the UK/Poland Season 2025, 'Metamorphosis - Craft from Poland' has further solidified a lasting impression of Polish creativity as modern, ambitious, and internationally fluent, further cementing the country’s position as a vibrant hub for contemporary design, creativity and innovation.