Each year, the Platform section at London Art Fair invites an exclusive selection of galleries to present work by well-known, overlooked and emerging artists all aligned to a single distinct theme chosen by a guest curator.
In January 2026, acclaimed art historian and author Dr Ferren Gipson will curate Platform at London Art Fair, exploring the theme of The Unexpected.
The Unexpected brings together artists who challenge conventions in material, process, and form in their work. Whether utilising materials in imaginative ways or incorporating innovative methods, these artists disrupt familiar boundaries to expand what materials can represent and do within their practice.
The exhibition celebrates innovation and surprise, showcasing the ways artists experiment to defy classification, provoke curiosity, and reframe the relationship between material and meaning. What connects the works is not a shared medium, but a shared spirit of reinvention that challenges hierarchies of value, function, and technique. The exhibition invites viewers to engage with how technique and substance can imbue works with further layers of meaning that touch on identity, tradition, and more.
Through approaches that are playful, technical, or radical, the artists in The Unexpected reveal the power that material and method have to broaden our understanding of contemporary practice.
“I’m very interested in how an artist’s choice of materials shapes the way we interpret their work. I love seeing artists push the limits of what a medium can do – through unconventional processes, unusual combinations, or by drawing out qualities we didn’t expect. The Unexpected is about celebrating that spirit of curiosity and innovation, and I hope visitors will experience moments of surprise and delight as they encounter these works.”
— Dr Ferren Gipson, Platform Curator
“Platform 26’s theme of ‘The Unexpected’ opens up rich conversations around how artists challenge material hierarchies and expand the language of contemporary practice. It is exciting to see London Art Fair champion material-led approaches — particularly through Dr Ferren Gipson’s sensitive and incisive curation, which spotlights both the labour and imagination embedded in these works. I’m delighted to see these artists celebrated on such a significant platform.”
— Laura Moseley, Assistant Curator, The Women’s Art Collection & Founder, Common Threads Press
MEET THE CURATOR
Dr. Ferren Gipson is a British-American art historian working at the intersection of art history, storytelling, and creative expression to explore how visual culture is shaped by our inner lives and shared histories. Named one of Apollo Magazine’s ‘40 under 40,’ her art research spans a wide range of themes, including popular culture, craft, modernity, politics, and identity. She is the award-winning author of Women’s Work and The Ultimate Art Museum, and as a dynamic storyteller, has contributed to the Financial Times, hosted the Art Matters podcast and the Object video series, and delivered numerous talks for institutions including TEDx, the Royal Academy of Art, the National Gallery, the National Museum for Women in the Arts and more. Within her art practice, Ferren explores themes of spirituality, materiality, and matrilineal ties through textiles. She has exhibited her work with Hauser & Wirth, UNIT London, and Paul Smith Gallery, as well as being the author of acclaimed titles including Women’s Work and The Ultimate Art Museum. She is also the host of the chart-topping visual arts podcast in America – Object- A narrative podcast about the stories, meanings, and histories behind the imagery and objects that colour our lives.
Source: London Art Fair
