Five Stalls to Visit at Sydney's 2018 Finders Keepers Market

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Independent art and design festival Finders Keepers is back for another season. The twice-yearly fair is a calendar staple for those on the hunt for unique, quality wares. Plus, there's an added bonus: the market supports local and emerging artists. This year, the Sydney event will run from Friday, May 4, to Sunday, May 6, and oh boy, is the lineup looking good.

Prepare to set aside a good chunk of time foraging for artsy finds for yourself or a loved one — a friendly reminder: Mother's Day is the following weekend. Luckily, the trading hours this year have been extended to give you maximum shopping time, with things kicking off at midday on Friday.

With close to 200 vendors planning to set up shop in Barangaroo's colossal entertainment space The Cutaway, you could quite easily become overwhelmed by choice. Rather than letting you walk around aimlessly, we have narrowed down the list to our top five favourite stalls. Make a beeline to these vendors to discover a bevy of bold, quirky and, in one case, tasty finds. And then you're free to explore the rest — truthfully, they're all stellar.

Image: supplied

FOR TOP-NOTCH CERAMICS: HAYDEN YOULLEY DESIGN

There is often beauty in simplicity, and this is what makes ceramicist Hayden Youlley's designs so sought-after. His revered Paper collection, a series of classic tableware that incorporate random crinkles to create the appearance of crumpled paper, was first released back in 2011. It remains popular today due to its simple and functional design, and has since been expanded to include pops of colour. Another line titled Tessellate is a collection of small pastel dishes in geometric shapes. All of Youlley's designs are classy but cool — a safe bet for a Mother's Day gift or for adding to an eclectic ceramics collection.

Image: Samee Lapham

FOR QUIRKY CANDLES: YOU, ME & BONES

Sure, candles in glass or ceramic jars are nice. But if your aesthetic is a little more left-of-centre this stall is sure to catch your eye. You, Me & Bones is all about hand-poured wax products that will either make you giggle or squirm, depending on what side of squeamish you're on. Launched with a range of doll heads, the quirky candle line has now branched out to include brains, boobs and even sushi candles. They certainly make for unique gifts and you'll be supporting a one-woman operation, too. Win, win.

Image: supplied

FOR WEARABLE TEXTILES: VARIETY HOUR

If you're of the sartorial opinion that one can never wear too much colour, the prints from label Variety Hour will be right up your street. Taking inspiration from flora and fauna (including our native galah) RMIT design grad Cassie Byrnes's wearable textiles are captivating, using bold colour and distorted patterns. All designs are hand-painted using water colour and pigment inks, which are then digitised and printed onto a variety of silk and linen styles.

Image: supplied

TO REFUEL: TSURU

Given the monumental size of the markets, taking a moment to refuel is highly necessary. This year you have a buffet of choice — from stroopwafels to souvlaki. But we're most excited about the buns and baos from food 'kombi' Tsuru. It specialises in all manner of Asian street foods, including lemongrass chicken in a brioche roll, spicy pork belly buns, cassava chips and pandan pancakes. The perfect mid-shop pit-stop.

Image: supplied

TO SUPPORT UP-AND-COMING INDIGENOUS ARTISTS: INJALAK

As part of its ongoing commitment to nurturing local and emerging artists, Finders Keepers has launched a new Indigenous Program. The initiative aims to support up-and-coming Indigenous makers and the inaugural recipient is Injalak Arts. This non-profit Indigenous Australian-owned social enterprise supports around 200 artists living in remote communities. Visit the stall at Finders Keepers to find paintings and basket weavings.

For more information about the Sydney Autumn/Winter Finders Keepers Market and for the full list of vendors, head to the website.

Top image: Mark Lobo