A gold rimmed invitation to an exclusive private view at a leading art gallery attended by celebrities doesn’t guarantee a good night out. It doesn’t even guarantee you’ll find suitable things to buy for family or friends, or yourself! Sometimes it is a last minute invite by email that leads to a fab evening making new friends and seeing out-of-the-box works of art. Here’s how to find unusual Art Pieces at Private Views…

One such fab evening was last week as London galleries geared up for the Christmas high season. London is spectacular in November and December with its street lights.

Unusual art pieces: the umbrella that kept us guessing and talking

I popped into two venues to check how to find unusual Art Pieces at Private Views: Michael Werner and JD Malat in London’s Mayfair. Michael Werner featured pieces by unknowns and established artists such as Frank Auerbach. But it was the umbrella leaning against a wall that kept everybody guessing.

The exhibition was (and is) so unusual anything could be part of the exhibition. Paintings and ceramic plates had been arranged in unusual order – across panels for instance.

There was a blanket hanging from the ceiling. And it really was part of the exhibition: Dark blue with electric green embroidery and orangey tassels… Blankets, of course, are a key part of the Danish “hygge” concept and feature heavily in our interior design ideas. Who doesn’t love cosying up on the couch with a blanket? A great gift idea….

And had somebody left their umbrella against the wall or was it another art piece playing with our mind? It got people, who had never met before, talking. “Is that yours, by any chance?” someone asked. No it wasn’t. We looked around and

And there were plenty of people to talk to. Young and old from all backgrounds – some in pearls to complement the grand interior of the Michael Werner gallery in London’s Upper Brook Street. Others were tattooed and pierced to their eyebrows.

Unusual Art Pieces: the classic oil on canvas as a stand-out piece

One of our favourite pieces in the Interior exhibition was this colourful oil on canvas by Florian Krewer below. It doesn’t fit into the Scandi minimalist bracket, but it’s perfect for the white palette of the Nordic home.

The exhibition titled Interior at the Michael Werner gallery depicts the interior lives of the subjects of the artists and runs until February 4.

JD Malat Gallery: experts in the unusual

On to JD Malat in London’s “gallery central” Davies Street, home to the grand old antiques and art dealers. However, JD Malat is anything but grand old…he’s a new fresh face injecting life (fizzy private views for young collectors and investors) into Mayfair’s art scene.

Hans Kotter, a German artists who works with light featured in this seasonal show – playing with boundaries of space and vision.

Again the drinks were flowing, but it a different crowd to Werner’s guests showed up: they’re more Euro-centric than British eccentric. They know how to find unusual Art Pieces at Private Views

Hans Kotter: Transformation runs at JD Malat until December 10. Above is his “Circles” Diptych – metal, LED, DMX-controller and Plexiglass.