London art exhibition to explore women’s history

This year’s Tribal Art London has “Mother, Muse and Maker” as its theme. The history of women within a tribal world where gender roles are strict is to be explored. African, Oceanic and South American tribal art all centres on performance and ritual.

Objects that go with this are tied into the rhythms of birth, puberty, marriage and death.

Men tend to create works out of hard materials like wood and metal, the creative talents of women have focused on softer materials like hides, fibres and clay. There is also a focus on women as dealers and collectors.

The fair, now in its 12th year, brings together more than 20 international dealers, specialists in original purpose art from all corners of the globe. It runs from September 4-7 at the Mall Galleries, London SW1.

New role

Stuart Purcell is to head up a new collectibles division at Mullens of Laurel Park, heralding a new era of collectibles sales at the Bray auction house.

He has for the past five years been head of collectibles at Whyte’s, where he developed the highly successful “Eclectic Collector” series of sales.

Stuart Purcell previously worked with James Adam and Adams Blackrock and established his own valuation firm, Orrs and Co, in 2009.