The British artist Ian Davenport is heading to Meissen’s factory in Germany to make a limited-edition plate for the South London Gallery. “It’s not until you get to the factory that you can try out things. You have got to have an open mind,” he says, looking forward to making a contemporary piece based on Meissen’s “amazing heritage, skills and technology developed over hundreds of years” to benefit his local art gallery. Davenport is following in the footsteps of fellow Turner-prize nominee Gary Hume, who was the first artist invited to design a Meissen plate for the South London Gallery’s leading supporters. Each year the members of the gallery’s council receive one of the artist-designed plates. The council, which was launched in 2015, consists of a small group of supporters who help fund the galleries programmes run for and by local young people. Davenport’s plate is due to be launched later this year.
