Drums For Peace Knotted Gun By Ringo Starr ($1390) For The Non-Violence Art Project

Life is better with Art in it: it’s just a fact. Whether you are a seasoned collector, someone looking to start a collection by investing in a single piece for your home, or an art lover who just enjoys the inspiration and joy of browsing, the Affordable Art Fair is a great place to expose yourself to (and purchase) art of almost every tangible medium. Held in a dual-floor space inside the Metropolitan Pavilion, AAFNYC gathers contemporary galleries from across the globe in the spring and fall each year for a three-day event that’s always both educational and lots of fun. This season’s fair boasted the most diverse collection of high-quality, original art that l’ve noticed for as long as I’ve been attending. Let me turn you on to some of my favorite pieces spotted at this year’s fall fair!

This year’s lead booth was sponsored by the Non-Violence Art Project. The Non-Violence Symbol, also known as the Knotted Gun, was originally created by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd as a memorial tribute to John Lennon after he was shot and killed in New York City in December 1980. The Non-Violence Project Foundation is a non-profit organization promoting peace and social change through education.

One World Knotted Gun, $950

Imagine Knotted Gun By Yoko Ono, $1390

A portion of the revenue from the sales of these Limited Edition sculptures goes to the Non-Violence Project and contributes to social change and bringing increased peace to the world. Art for Peace!

I Need This Wilderness For My Heart to Beat By Adam Bridgland ($300,Limited Edition Print)  

At every fall edition, Affordable Art Fair NYC releases a Limited Edition Print in collaboration with an artist commissioned by the fair. Established in 2013 with minimalist artist Chad Kouri, Affordable Art Fair has since worked with artists specializing in a variety of mediums, from large scale woodcuts to mixed media collage pieces, with each artwork incorporating the fair’s signature color, pink. Limited to an edition size of 10, the prints are exhibited and available for sale at the fall fair.

This season, the Limited Edition Print series featured the above artwork by London-based artist Adam Bridgland (of Jealous Gallery). The screen print with spray paint overlays is a love letter to the urban wilderness that is New York City, and a thematic continuation of a sculptural work that Adam created earlier in 2018.

Before I get any further, I must give a shout out to deliciously smooth Van Gogh Vodka, who sponsored this year’s open bar! In case you didn’t already know, the bar is hidden way in the back on the second floor of the fair. I always make sure to hit that acton as soon as possible!

Let’s kick off this recap with some art featuring lovely ladies! This abstract portrait is entitled Joan and it is by Jean-Luc Almond ($7500), who is represented by Art Unified Gallery of Venice, California.

I Love Plastic By Brett Goldstar ($4400) at Tag Fine Arts of London

This collage of Marilyn Monroe’s face is created from hundreds of smaller images culled from vintage magazines.

Sister With Hat By Mart de Brouwer ($6,000) at Chiefs and Spirits, The Hague, Netherlands

Angele By Keymi ($4250) at Artered Gallery of Barcelona

I love this pop art portrait that looks like the pieces of a puzzle. Keymi (slang for Mickey) is the pseudonym of French painter and graffiti artist Stephan Raymond.

Sadly, I only managed to capture two of the Three Jumpers, a thread-based hanging sculpture by Moto Waganari ($9,300) at Connect Contemporary of Atlanta.

Swirl By Pezhman ($8600) at Connect Contemporary of Atlanta

Check out the details on the skirt, below, which is made with paint and encaustic.

Swirl, Skirt Detail

Everyone loves flowers. One of the first pieces that wowed me at the show was September Harvest by Kristin Sjaarda ($4250), which I found at  Eye Buy Art, an online photography gallery located in Toronto. Kristin creates contemporary still-life photography influenced by the Dutch masters. She arranges and photographs flowers she picked from her own garden, emphasizing the diversity and beauty of the world around us. Kristin also only uses the natural light coming in from her kitchen window. Her work is simply stunning.

Flores By Fran Mora ($7000) at Cube Gallery, London 

This colorful abstract entitled Ria Formosa, by artist Joana Vasconcelos, looks like a bouquet of flowers on acid. Available for $6500 at Manifold Editions, London, the print was created using a combination of etching and block printing methods.

Dripping Dots, All In Love, Deep Red By Cindy Shaoul ($1000) at Lilac Gallery, NYC 

City Window By Mathijs Siemens ($3500) at Chiefs and Spirits, The Hague, Netherlands

Mathijs Siemens is a Dutch artist who creates his unique artwork using thread. Check out the detail below!

City Window (Detail)

Ruined By James Talon ($4250) at The Public House of Art, Amsterdam

Transparencies (Sereis) By Salvador Santos at Soraya Cartategui Art Gallery, Madrid

Details Oriented in Space 3 By Laurence Jones ($4800) at Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery, London

I love these two paintings (above and below) of mid-century homes!

Casa Del Rey By Karen Lynn ($3250) Fine Art Consultancy of Tokyo and London

Gladys By Jeff Chester ($7500) at Decorazon Gallery, Dallas, New York City and London

Still Life By Colin Wilson ($1950) at Ronen Art Gallery, Amsterdam

Murdered Art By Artem Ryskin ($4500) at Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles

This relief wall sculpture of a tube of paint is made from screws! Check out the detail below!

Murdered Art (Detail)

Rocks 2 By Perish The Thought ($2500) at Tag Fine Arts, London

AAFNYC is definitely the place to find unusual sculptures. These Man Bag sculptures by Debra Franses-Bean are $10,000 from Tag Fine Arts. Each piece, made from cast resin and found objects, is unique.