To The Brafa Art Fair in Brussels, 2019

Highlights From Our Trip To The 

Annual Brafa Art Fair in Brussels

written by Tamara Matthews-Stephenson

chocolate and treats from Maison Dandoy

More and more designers from the United States are finding it helpful both for their business and their creative inspiration and sources to attend the international design and art trade shows.  Paris shows Maison Objet and Deco-off  are quite popular with designers here in New York.  This year, we attended the Brafa Art Fair in Brussels, Belgium the same week as the Paris shows, and it was an exceptional experience. An added bonus was seeing this beautiful, historic city with cobblestone streets.  Known for their beer, chocolate and waffles, there is certainly a lot to do besides take in the design at the fair.  The fair showcased a milieu of the classics, beautiful historic art that keeps you enthralled.  But, make no mistake this international art fair, showcases modern art and artists as well. There is also plenty of decorative arts at the fair.  I especially loved the showhouse-like designs sponsored by Delen Bank in Belgium and created by mother and daughter interior design team, Anne-Sophie Delen and Marie-Alix Delen.  The rooms were gorgeous and jam-packed with rich art, mid-century furnishings and vintage lighting.  It was wonderful to see how European designers put all these factors together in a home-- this certainly gave us fodder to bring home to our projects.  

 interior designers

Anne-Sophie Delen and Marie-Alix Delen

One of the artists at the fair who drew my attention was Julian Opie represented by Patrick De Brock gallery.  The artist renders his subjects with minimal details in thick black outlines then fills it in with solid areas of that same color. I particularly love the portraits, including "Lucia 1" which he painted in 2017.  It's a must-see for modern art lovers. His oversize sculpture installations are stunning as well and they appear in a multitude of applications from hospitals to other public spaces and of course private gardens and homes.

  JULIAN OPIE, Lucia 1, 2017 Silkscreen on acrylic panel

more art we spotted...

please see more of my musings from Brussels 

over on the 

Aspire Design and Home magazine Instagram

jaunting through Europe sourcing antiques with IFDA friend, Toma Clark Haines of The Antiques Diva & Co.

image from the Paris flea market 

via board member, Andrea Algaze

 Please meet friend of IFDA NY, 

Toma Clark Haines, 

an American (from the heart of the country) who relocated to Europe and started her now burgeoning business helping others to source antiques throughout Europe, The Antiques Diva & Co.

In case you missed the informative talk given to our chapter members at the New York Design Center on March 25, Toma explained to a packed, captive audience about the ins-and-outs of shopping the coveted Paris Flea Market.  Additionally, she offered us a history lesson about the infamous show with an extensive slide show enticing designers to bring their clients over to Europe for her popular private tours through various European countries to source and buy antiques.  

A meet up with Toma in Milan ensued...

This past week while I was on a sponsored trip with the Modenus company's BlogTour to write about design, our group visited the Salone Del Mobile furniture and Eurocucina show, and we met up with Toma in Milan.  We had a dream-like afternoon with Toma and her local, well-informed guide, Valeria, providing us with a 3-hour jaunt through the Brera Art District's historic antique section.  We visited and chatted with antique dealers, checked out the wares and even picked up a few select pieces.  In true "diva" style, Toma then took us to the swanky La Scala historic theatre where the aristocratic society once whiled away their extravagant evenings entertained by a variety of arts. We were privy to a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the current ballet rehearsal preparing for that evening.  We sat in the dark wings of the historic and elaborate box seats, pinching ourselves that we were magically witnessing tid bits of 
Swan Lake hours before the debut. 

Then, Toma whisked our group over to one of the oldest and most stylish cafes in Milan, the Camparino in Galleria Caffe Milano, next to the famous Duomo.  She ushered us upstairs to our very own private room overlooking Milan, where we sipped an apertif and nibbled on traditional Italian bites, while learning about the Campari cocktail and it's connection and history to the neighborhood.  To be able to experience antique shopping with Toma and her well-informed local guide was such a treat, giving us a deeper understanding of Milan, Italian art history and the local art and antiques and their neighbors -- Priceless!  

 our very own Blogtour photographer, Chasen West 

with BlogTour leader, Veronika Miller of Modenus

after a very busy day in Milan 

Blogtour designers and writers enjoying the festivities while donning 

Venetian masks, a gift from Toma.

please check out our IFDA 

Antique Diva Pinterest Board

(left) The Antique Diva team

The Caffe Milano staff gifted us a walk through Campari history with Valeria interpreting into English.

the icing on the cake is that the IFDA relationship continues, because Toma will be decorating and donating a chair for our upcoming Take A Seat Charity Chair auction at the Room and Board showroom in New York City on 

May 14. -- won't you please 

Save the Date, 

We hope you will attend our 2nd annual Take A Seat, 

with the hopes of bidding on Toma's chair!

Please connect with The Antiques Diva's website!

And, feel free to read more about the

Blogtour Milan team as well.  Ciao!