Fiona Wyse | Ryka Design

Yesterday I visited New Designers in Islington. It has been many years since I last attended— probably not since my time working in the Design Promotion Department at the British Council. My first thought? Everyone looked so young! There's nothing quite like revisiting a graduate show to hold a mirror up to your younger self. You see hundreds of emerging designers at the very beginning of their creative journeys, full of ambition, optimism and ideas. It's both inspiring and a

Where to start? Well, of course, with the building itself, because it is undoubtedly the star of the show. Designed by Frank Gehry, it is quite simply one of the most extraordinary buildings I have ever seen. Organic yet industrial, it rises from the ground like an unfurling rose. Depending on the weather and the time of day, its titanium, glass and limestone panels seem to change colour and character. This was exactly how I first experienced it, catching sight of it as our t

Monday was Varnishing Day for the prestigious Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2026 — a special occasion when all selected artists are invited to attend a service at St James's Church, Piccadilly before gathering at the Royal Academy for a celebratory glass of champagne and, most importantly, the first opportunity to see their work installed in the Royal Academy. Seven rooms in, I finally spotted my work mine - Summer Dive, (No. 1229), in the top right corner by the arch. Se