Jonathan Baldock: The Gathering

Following in the footsteps of high-calibre collaborators including David Shrigley, Yinka Shonibare and Martin Creed, Jonathan Baldock’s intervention marks a vibrant new chapter for sketch, bringing his distinctive blend of craft, humour and joy into the heart of London. 

At the core of the installation is a display of 80 works from Baldock’s Maske series, which encircle the walls in a continuous, staggered configuration. Together, the masks create a hypnotic visual rhythm that activates the room. Rippling sheets of clay suggest folds of skin, while carved recesses and protruding forms hint at eyes, ears and nostrils. 

Some masks articulate universal emotions; others offer only the faint suggestion of a personality. Variations in mood and temperament emerge through Baldock’s experimentation with ceramic techniques, including coloured clays, painterly glazes and firings at different temperatures, resulting in surfaces that range from lustrous and tactile to gritty and earthen.

Surrounding the bar and welcoming guests at reception, Baldock presents sculptural works from his Flowers series. Drawing on personal history and his relationship with his mother and her garden, these works explore emotional landscapes shaped by memory and care. 

Suspended within the central dome, works from Baldock’s Warm Inside installation introduce an atmospheric and soaring focal point. Created through labour-intensive processes of wool spinning, plant dyeing and basket weaving, the cocoon-like forms highlight the intimate relationship between body, material and craft. By weaving himself into a thousand-year-old tradition, Baldock positions these sculptures within a cyclical dialogue between ancient techniques, personal memory and contemporary practice.

The rehang honours India Mahdavi’s setting while expanding the sensorial and emotional reach of the Gallery, reinforcing sketch’s reputation as one of the first restaurants to treat artistic intervention as a serious and evolving cultural practice. There is a fitting resonance in Baldock’s working methods: while the Maske works are typically created without a sketchpad, guided by instinct and immediacy, the flowers and cocoons often begin life as drawings. This balance between spontaneity and preparation subtly echoes sketch’s own ethos — a space where the unplanned and the meticulously conceived sit side by side, evolving in real time like pages in a living sketchbook.

Mourad Mazouz, Owner of sketch, comments:
“I am pleased to unveil this next chapter of the Gallery, created with Jonathan. At sketch, I have always believed in championing British artists, giving them the space to experiment, provoke and inspire. This new evolution continues that spirit, and I could not be more excited to share it.”

Jonathan Baldock adds:
“I am grateful for the opportunity to exhibit my work at sketch restaurant, following in the footsteps of artists I admire. I have been a fan of sketch since visiting in my early twenties, and I’m looking forward to being part of its ongoing legacy.”

Photos by Edmund Dabney.