Opened as the restaurant Sketch by Mourad Mazouz and three Michelin-starred French chef Pierre Gagnaire in 2003, the Mayfair Grade ll* listed building once home to the Royal Institute of British Architects and the London atelier of Christian Dior has since played host to momentous artist installations from names including David Shrigley, Yinka Shonibare and Martin Creed.
Commemorating 200 years of The National Gallery, between 1 and 27 May, the esteemed London restaurant transforms a series of its most grand spaces into an immersive floral exhibition that sees contemporary creatives paying homage to some of the most seminal masters from the gallery’s collection.
JamJar Flowers collaborate with fabric installation artist Mia Sylvia to craft a dreamlike installation in The Glade, inspired by JMW Turner’s masterpiece Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus, using botanical materials like flax fibres, grasses, and foraged flowers, to evoke the scene’s drama; Lucy Vail’s Pastoral Inspiration in the Lecture Room and Library pays tribute to Alfred Sisley’s influence on English heritage and his love for the landscape, featuring a reimagining of his painting The Small Meadows in Spring; whilst the Entrance Hall and Reception sees a Rebel Rebel installation feature iconic artworks woven into the plush carpet, and exquisite still life arrangements incorporating artisan ceramics.
Award-winning artist and floral designer Yan Skates presents Plant Beings, inspired by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder’s A Still Life of Flowers in a Wan-Li Vase, where human forms embody the painting’s rich colours and wild floral combinations, allowing visitors to become the art. Set amid the restaurants iconic ‘Pod Loos,’ these whimsical characters celebrate the Dutch Masters’ painting while expressing themes of mortality and spirituality.
As part of the NG200 programme, Sketch will host workshops during the upcoming Chelsea Flower Show, allowing participants to engage with the National Gallery’s collection and floral themes; design floral tote bags inspired by Rebel Rebel arrangements; and create bespoke floral arrangements with Yan Skates while learning about his artistic process. Gastronomic events will include a Sketch in Bloom 3 Michelin Star lunch, afternoon tea including a glass of Balfour English Sparkling or Pommery Champagne, and a series of special edition cocktails in partnership with Fettercairn Whisky and Champagne Pommery, and Sketch’s director of operations Alena Cagnato.
Allowing visitors, diners and art fans to frolic amid floral masterpieces, the tenth edition of Sketch in Bloom is a celebration of artistic vision, floristry and fun, the irreverent essence of the restaurant as alive as ever.
@sketchlondon
@nationalgallery
Sketch in Bloom at Sketch London Photography, Mark Cocksedge.
