Category: News

London Craft Week is looking for new volunteers to join the team from Monday 9 – Sunday 15 May 2022.

From the latest developments in material innovation and digital craft to collectable objects and heritage skills, this year’s programme includes over 300 events, showcasing work by more than 400 artists, makers and designers, alongside brands and galleries from 26 different countries. Spanning the fields of craft, art, design, luxury, food, fashion and accessories, the week-long festival tells the stories behind some of the world’s most beautiful objects – the material, the maker, the process and the inspiration – through workshops, immersive experiences, pop-up stores and original exhibitions.

Check out the full programme of events here.

Every year volunteers play a big part in creating a special atmosphere at London Craft Week by helping visitors to get the most out of the week. By joining the LCW team as a volunteer, you help us by being an onsite presence at events, dealing with visitor queries, occasionally assisting with event logistics such as ticketing and guest lists, and supporting the individual event runners by being the direct contact to liaise with where any LCW team support is needed. We therefore are looking for presentable, confident and enthusiastic individuals who have a keen interest in the visual arts and have experience with event management, customer service and/or invigilating exhibitions.

We will make every effort to ensure you gain valuable experience in working behind the scenes at a not-for-profit events organisation while having lots of fun!

If you are interested in learning more about the not-for-profit world of art festivals, and/or are interested in the craft sector, please send your CV and a brief statement of interest to info@londoncraftweek.com by midday on Friday 22 April 2022.

 

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Featured image courtesy The Mills Fabrica

We are delighted to announce the launch of the London Craft Week 2022 programme. Returning to our original spring slot, the eighth edition of the festival is taking place from 9–15 May this year.

Visit our Programme page, and be one of the first to browse and book the exciting line-up of expertly-curated events taking place across the city.

London Craft Week continues to champion creativity and ingenuity across a wide range of disciplines, from heritage craft skills to innovative new techniques and materials. We hope you will join us at as many events as possible, but we are very pleased to share a selection of key highlights with you here. Do follow us @londoncraftweek to receive the latest updates as we draw closer to the festival dates.

 

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Collectable Craft & Design

LCW 2022 features two major exhibitions at Sotheby’s: Material Consciousness – an exploration of pioneering sustainable design by furniture maker Brodie Neill, and Quartet: Goldsmithing in London Now, which brings together exquisite pieces of jewellery by Sian Evans, Lucie Gledhill, Castro Smith and Christopher Thompson-Royds. Meanwhile at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, contemporary craft fair Artefact will be shining a light on artisanal excellence across disciplines including metalwork, glass, sculpture, textiles, ceramics and upcycled materials.

 

International Perspectives

For the first time this year, we are delighted to announce two curated Country Pavilions, showcasing work by talented independent makers, artists, studios and workshops from Malaysia and Norway. Highlights include a large-scale exhibition of Royal Pahang Silk Weave presented by HM Queen Azizah of Malaysia, who has been an ambassador for the vanishing craft of silk weaving for more than two decades. At Cromwell Place, Norwegian Crafts will be collaborating with Oslo-based multidisciplinary platform and artist group PYTON to present an exhibition of pioneering works by emerging creatives and unsung heroes.

 

Pioneering Innovation in Making

LCW’s Innovation Partner The Mills Fabrica is an incubator for a new generation of independent brands and start-ups that are driving forward experimental forms of making, from exploring heritage processes to innovative technologies and materials. At Fabrica X, London’s first concept store and innovation gallery, discover demonstrations, workshops and retail experiences focused on sustainable innovation. Learn about companies like Renewcell, who turn discarded textiles into a natural material, or scan your perfect pair of jeans with Unspun, who eliminate waste with on-demand manufacturing.

 

Next Generation Creatives

Discover a renewed appreciation of craftsmanship within contemporary fashion design, materials and making. At the V&A, we celebrate the next generation of innovative talent with a programme of events around Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear, including a jewellery masterclass with Rosh Mahtani and tailoring demonstration with Kimberley Megan Lawton. In Belgravia, visit the Argentine Ambassador’s Residence to see designer Clara Pinto’s FW22 collection, which pays tribute to organic British wool, traditional tailoring and innovative degradable bioplastics.

 

Platinum Jubilee Celebrations

Imbued with rich traditions yet often thrillingly anarchic in mindset, Britain has always been at the cutting edge of craftsmanship. To mark the Platinum Jubilee, The Royal Exchange presents a Makers’ Market featuring a diverse selection of exceptional British craftspeople. Discover leather goods from Carréducker, fragrances from Maya Njie, and umbrellas from the UK’s longest-established umbrella manufacturer, James Ince & Sons. Continue the festivities at Fortnum & Mason, who are hosting a series of exhibitions showcasing the work of QEST-supported makers in leather, metal and textiles.

 

Artisan Chelsea

London’s artists’ quarter of the 19th century and centre of the Arts and Crafts movement; Chelsea is a neighbourhood rich in creativity and artisanal making. This year we are pleased to be working once again with the Cadogan Estate who present the Artisan Chelsea Series for LCW 2022. From an introduction to the history and craftsmanship of British luxury leather goods with Tanner Krolle, to artisanal ice cream tasting at Ice Cream Union, to Sarabande studios’ takeover of Soho Home, discover how craftsmanship is woven into the community through a programme of rich and varied events.

 

Pimlico Road and Belgravia

The Pimlico Road Design District in Belgravia presents the seventh annual Pimlico Road Series for LCW 2022. A fraternity of world-class craftspeople, artisans, curators and makers, Pimlico Road is a melting pot and meeting place for craft and design. Visit Bonadea to explore ‘Vienna Vibes’, a showcase of Viennese manufacturing, or attend a talk at Robertaebasta in celebration of the great Italian design master Gio Ponti. Elsewhere in Belgravia, Studio Pottery London host a discussion on turning passion into profit with Holly Tucker MBE, entrepreneur and founder of Not On The High Street.

 

Coal Drops Yard

King’s Cross is home of the extraordinary, and during LCW you can experience outstanding creativity across a broad range of disciplines as part of the Coal Drops Yard Series, from spectacle making to weaving to food and drink. Highlights include live demonstrations at COS by award-winning weaver Maria Sigma, who specialises in ‘zero waste’ design. Join a candle-making workshop at Earl of East, find out how to keep your leather shoes in tip top condition at Joseph Cheaney & Sons, and discover the flavours and aromas of Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse in an after-hours tasting.

 

St James’s London x Rémy Martin

Go behind the scenes of the hidden gems of St James’s London, one of the city’s most illustrious locations, alongside the House of Rémy Martin, renowned for their masterful production of exceptional spirits, in a series of events celebrating savoir faire. Join us for after-hours masterclasses, demonstrations, cocktails and tastings on a journey from St James’s, along Jermyn Street, the original home of menswear, to the elegant Princes Arcade with its boutiques that connect to Piccadilly.

 

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We very much look forward to welcoming you to our events and together celebrating the best of creativity and craftsmanship.

Featured image courtesy Clara Pinto

Collect, the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design, has returned for its 18th edition with a stellar line up of exceptional works across a range of disciplines, including ceramics, glass, lacquer, jewellery, metal, textiles, wood and paper, showcased by 31 specialist international galleries and presented by the Crafts Council.

Alongside the main galleries, Collect Open, the fair’s platform for pioneering craft installations by emerging artists, returns with 13 projects by artists and collectives from Chile, Israel and the UK.

To celebrate Collect’s return, we’ve put together an edit of our favourite pieces from this year’s programme…

 

Alice Kettle, Holding Flower, 2021

Thread on linen
28 7/10 × 21 7/10 in
73 × 55 cm
Candida Stevens Gallery

Textile artist Alice Kettle is known for her large-scale tapestry works that incorporate an expressive mix of hand-stitched and mechanical embroidery. For Collect 2022, Alice has created a new site-responsive work, exploring the histories and narratives of royal women who have resided in Somerset House.

 

Dawn Bendick, Time Rock Stack XVI, 2022

Cast dichroic glass
32 1/10 × 18 1/10 × 12 2/5 in
81.5 × 46 × 31.5 cm
Joanna Bird Contemporary Collections

Dawn Bendick is an artist working with time, light and multitone glass. Her studio making process includes drawing, mould making, casting dichroic glass, taking inspiration from natural light and our intuitive ability to track time without technology. Dawn’s Time Rock Stack installation in the West Wing of Somerset House responds to its chromatic environment, thereby inviting us to heighten our awareness of the changes that occur naturally in the atmosphere, light, and weather conditions around us.

 

Yusuke Yamamoto, Dappled Garden Dish, 2017

Britannia Silver 958
2 × 16 1/2 × 16 1/2 in
5 × 42 × 42 cm
Ruthin Craft Centre

Yusuke Yamamoto is an award-winning silversmith, specialising in chasing . He was born in Japan and originally trained there but now lives and works in the UK. He is known for his distinctive surface texture and hammered marks on sculptural silverware.

 

Ryoji Koie, Large Jar

Oribe Glaze
height 27 cm
height 10 5/8 in
Oxford Ceramics

Born in 1938 in Tokoname, Ryoji Koie may have been one of the world’s senior potters, but he had the attitude and energy of an enfant terrible in Japanese ceramics. Initially Koie worked in a tile factory, making his first pots at the age of 20. His output has included wheel-made, extruded and constructed works, both freely thrown and glazed pots and ambitious sculptural pieces.

 

Celia Dowson, Taroko Mist, Peach Tint, Vessel I, 2022

Glass
4 1/10 × 5 7/10 × 5 7/10 in
10.5 × 14.5 × 14.5 cm
Flow Gallery

Taroko Mist, Peach Tint, Vessel I was inspired by Celia Dowson’s time at a ceramic residency in Taiwan during the monsoon season. Through form and colour, this series of work explores the interplay of light on surfaces, drawing inspiration from the breadth of the natural world. This piece was influenced by the natural landscape and wildlife in Taiwan, reflecting the movement of water, shadowed by great walls carved into mountains, rushing down precipitous valleys and the light mist as it is caught in glints of morning light.

 

Kuniko Maeda, Un, 2022

Paper, Kakishibu, acrylic paint
15 × 15 × 2 4/5 in
38 × 38 × 7 cm
Ruup & Form

Kuniko Maeda is a Japanese artist based in London who works mainly with paper, leather and textiles. She seeks to explore the connections between nature and humans through the use of specific materials and anthropomorphic forms. Her practice is rooted in material processes, influenced and informed by her subject specialism in sustainable textile design and Japanese traditional woodcarving. By exploring the possibility of materials and their unique properties, Kuniko allows them to speak and embraces natural formed abstraction.

 

Jessica Jue, Ever Flowing Sculpture, 2022

Britannia silver with gold foil
Five Collection

Jessica Jue is a London based silversmith and jeweller. Known for her sculptural aesthetic, Jessica’s practice is deeply influenced by her Chinese heritage and Austrian upbringing, in which fluid and bold designs are created. She reinvents traditional techniques in silver to craft elegant contemporary pieces.

Five Collection is a brand new platform, launching at the Collect International Art Fair 2022. It was conceived by five contemporary makers all determined to shine a spotlight on the craft of contemporary silversmithing and metalwork.

Zoë Wilson, Samar, 2021

Portland Coloured Jesmonite Cast Painted Gold
15 7/10 × 23 3/5 × 4/5 in
40 × 60 × 2 cm
Edition of 20
Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST)

Zoë Wilson is a stone carver. She completed a degree in Fine Art at Birmingham City University, before discovering a love for working with stone. Appreciating the importance of a solid foundation, she embarked on a three year apprenticeship working on every aspect of traditional stone masonry such as fixing, construction, restoration and private commissions. To further develop her skills Zoë undertook a second apprenticeship in letter carving. She then gained a place at City and Guilds of London Art School, graduating in 2016 with a first class diploma in Historic Stone Carving.

 

Marc Ricourt, 01.0621, 2021

Beech
Sarah Myerscough Gallery

Marc Ricourt draws his inspiration from the ancient utilitarian object of the vessel. Marc sources the wood he uses from his local landscape in Dijon, France. He initially turns on a traditional lathe and then intricately carves and treats the surfaces through bleaching, dying or an application of ferrous oxide, to explore the vessel through organic shapes that often recall seedpods and the undulating edges of leaves, carved as delicate linear fins.

 

Visit Collect 2022 at Somerset House until 27 May or discover the full list of galleries, makers and objects on Artsy.

 

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Featured Image Credit: Icheon Ceramic by Han Collection

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2022 marks the International Year of Glass, a UN initiative celebrating the essential role glass has in society, from scientific and technical breakthroughs to its importance as a medium for art and creativity. Read on for our highlights of the exhibitions and events taking place this year.

 

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Distant Electric Vision
Vessel Gallery

Glass artist Jon Lewis produces work that is engaged with themes of recycling, the creative synthesis of glass with metal, and the transformation of outmoded consumer products into art. In his solo exhibition at Vessel Gallery this month, Lewis presents brand new works from his Moon Rocks and Apertura series, which are formed from recycled obsolescent Bang & Olufsen television screens. Until 18 February. Find out more.

 

Best in Glass
London Glassblowing

Elliot Walker is one of a handful of glassblowers who focus on sculpting molten glass, an extremely challenging experience that demands consummate skill, dexterity and speed. His talent won him the most recent series of the Netflix show Blown Away and during LCW 2021, Elliot and his partner in both life and glass art, Bethany Wood, showed their craft at the furnace with a live-streamed demonstration. If you missed it the first time, the video is available to watch here. Find out more.

 

Glassblowing Masterclass
BlowFish Glass

Fancy having a go yourself? Elliot and Bethany offer a series of workshops through their BlowFish Glass studio. You’ll learn each step of the process, from heating molten glass in the furnace to sculpting and blowing hot glass. Why not continue the festivities with the Jubilee Masterclass, which will equip you with the skills to create a bowl, bauble or paperweight inspired by the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Find out more.

 

A State of Matter
Henry Moore Foundation

To honour the International Year of Glass, the Henry Moore Institute is presenting a major exhibition exploring glass as a material for sculpture. A State of Matter: Modern and Contemporary Glass Sculpture explores the medium through its three different states of matter: solid, liquid and gas, presenting works by renowned international artists including Mona Hatoum, Luke Jerram and Claire Falkenstein (pictured). From 18 February – 5 June 2022. Find out more.

 

International Festival of Glass

Returning to Stourbridge this August, the International Festival of Glass will celebrate the skill and innovation of the glass industry and its makers, with a special focus on contemporary glassmaking in Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan. At the heart of the Festival is the British Glass Biennale, which champions excellence in contemporary glass by UK based artists, designers and craftspeople and British artists working abroad. For more information and to apply, click here.

 

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Featured image: Distant Electric Vision by Jon Lewis, Vessel Gallery

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To coincide with Lunar New Year 2022, our February Edit is a celebration of artistry and innovation across Asia and beyond. Championing the continent’s extraordinarily rich history of craftsmanship, this month we profile some of the makers and organisations who are preserving ancient crafts and reinventing them for future generations. We’ve rounded up below a small selection of exhibitions and events to help you celebrate the new year with craftsmanship and savoir-faire.

 

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Savoir-Faire: The Mastery of Craft in Fashion
K11 MUSEA, Hong Kong

New World Development CEO and K11 Craft & Guild Foundation Founder Adrian Cheng has joined forces with fashion icon Carine Roitfeld to host Savoir-Faire: The Mastery of Craft in Fashion. Bringing together the storied crafts of haute couture and traditional Chinese craftsmanship, the exhibition presents rare artefacts and modern pieces from the archives of K11 alongside works from acclaimed design houses that include Chanel, Dior and Loewe. Find out more.

 

Stories Encapsulated: Wood
Crafts on Peel, Hong Kong

Presenting objects made in wood by Hong Kong artisans, Stories Encapsulated: Wood is a celebration of the tactile, living nature of this medium. From small decorative objects to large furniture pieces, the exhibition features collaborations between traditional craftsmen and contemporary artisans, exploring the skills, stories and emotional connections between the makers and their works. For those unable to visit in person, there will be an opportunity to discover Crafts on Peel’s Creations Enlivened: Metal exhibition during LCW. Find out more.

 

Juefang Yang

Jewellery designer Juefang Yang marries traditional jade carving techniques with a contemporary design aesthetic. The RCA graduate, who trained as a gemologist at the Gemological Institute of America, works closely with a professional jade carving base in Yunnan, China, to create her collections, which are made solely by artisans with disabilities. Discover Juefang’s work during this year’s LCW as part of Second Floor Studios & Arts’ Deptford Open Studio weekend. Find out more.

 

Amazing China
National Base for International Cultural Trade (Shanghai)

This May, Amazing China returns to London Craft Week for the fifth year. Showcasing exceptional craftsmanship and Intangible Cultural Heritage across a range of disciplines, the exhibition will shine a spotlight on the rich history of Chinese artistry. In the meantime, head over to the programme page where you can watch demonstrations by some of the artisans who took part in last year’s virtual exhibition. Find out more.

 

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Featured image courtesy of K11 Craft & Guild Foundation. 

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Happy New Year from London Craft Week!

 

As always, we are excited to celebrate and champion craftsmanship in all its forms. Over the past twelve months, it has been inspiring to see how the challenges of the pandemic have been a catalyst for creative development and new ideas. As 2022 begins, we hope that this spirit of innovation carries through in the year ahead.

Following our largest and most diverse edition of the festival to date in October last year, with nearly 400 events and over 350 makers from 31 countries taking part in LCW, we are looking forward to sharing with you the programme for the eighth edition of the festival, which will take place from 9–15 May 2022.

Last year also marked the second edition of Create Day, which took place on Saturday 4 September 2021. Featuring 24 hours of global content from more than 300 artists-designers-makers, over 190,000 visitors tuned in on the day for 1,700 hours of pure creativity.

For some of the highlights from 2021, and to discover the talent who took part last year, see below or visit our Makers page.

 

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Creativity Across The Globe

 

Looking to learn a new skill this year? From revitalised heritage techniques to cutting-edge contemporary practices, meet talented makers from around the world in our selection of video highlights from Create Day 2021.

 

Zoë Wilson, United Kingdom

This film showcases the story of stone carver Zoë Wilson’s craft from start to finish. Designing and drawing on paper, sanding and cutting the stone, the highlight is the carving itself.

 

Turquoise Mountain, Syria

Discover how Turquoise Mountain works with master carpenter Maher from Syria to support regional craft enterprises, and train the next generation of artisan entrepreneurs.

 

Anita Porchet, Switzerland 

Anita Porchet is the best-known enamel artist working in watches today. In this video from the Michelangelo Foundation, go behind the scenes in her workshop.

 

Yuzo Eto, Japan

Meaning ‘joining with gold’, the centuries-old art of kintsugi is more than an aesthetic. Discover how, for the Japanese, it’s part of a broader philosophy embracing the beauty of flaws.

 

Riviere Rugs, Nepal

Watch how Riviere’s rugs are crafted in the Kathmandu valley of Nepal, made with age-old traditional techniques passed from generation to generation.

 

Conrad Hicks, South Africa

In this livestream, meet Conrad Hicks: an artist, blacksmith and tool-maker who specialises in hand-forged metal work, using only traditional blacksmithing jointing methods.

 

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A Few Dates for Your Diary

 

Look ahead to brighter days with our pick of exhibitions and events to visit this year.

 

London Art Fair
Business Design Centre, 19–23 Jan

From prints and editions, to major works by renowned artists from the 20th century to today, London Art Fair returns this January at the Business Design Centre in Islington. Presenting over 100 selected galleries celebrating the best in modern and contemporary art, the fair provides expert insight through an inspiring programme of talks, tours and curated exhibitions.

 

Rescue Mission: which endangered crafts should we save?
Crafts magazine, Monday 24 January

Making traditions are an inherent part of our collective heritage, but as society and technology advances, some inevitably become at risk of dying out. Robin Wood, Katherine Huskie, Gareth Neal and Dima Srouji discuss what lessons traditional making practices can teach us for the future.

 

Grayson’s Art Club
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, from 4 Dec

On show in Bristol, Grayson’s Art Club is a poignant chronicle of lockdown, featuring artworks chosen by Grayson Perry and guests during season two of the eponymous TV show. Forming an artistic record of the nation’s collective experience, it also reflects our creativity, imagination and talent.

 

Louise Bourgeois: The Woven Child
Hayward Gallery, from 9 Feb

From 9 February, visit the Hayward Gallery to see the first major retrospective of Louise Bourgeois that focuses exclusively on her work using fabrics and textiles. It will present a varied body of work incorporating textiles such as bed linen, handkerchiefs, tapestry and needlepoint.

 

Ai Weiwei: The Liberty of Doubt
Kettle’s Yard, from 12 Feb

Exploring notions of truth, authenticity and value, Ai Weiwei: The Liberty of Doubt will be the first time the artist has juxtaposed historic Chinese objects with his own work. Expect new artworks by Ai Weiwei shown alongside antiquarian pieces including some thought to date from the Northern Wei and Tang dynasties.

 

Collect
Somerset House, 25–27 Feb

Following a digital edition in 2021, Collect returns to Somerset House this February with some of the best collectible craft from around the world, presented by preeminent galleries including Sarah Myerscough, Cynthia Corbett, Ruup & Form, jaggedart, Cavaliero Finn, MADEINBRITALY and London Glassblowing.

 

Yukihiro Akama: Ki no ie
Yorkshire Sculpture Park, from 26 Feb

Working from a furniture maker’s workshop in Huddersfield where he is surrounded by the natural world, Japanese artist Yukihiro Akama creates intricate miniature wooden houses, each one carved from a single piece of wood.

 

Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear
V&A, from 19 March

This landmark exhibition promises to explore how designers, tailors and artists – and their clients and sitters – have constructed and performed masculinity.

 

Homo Faber
Fondazione Giorgio Cini, 10 Apr–01 May

We’re eager to resume travelling this year, and are looking forward to visiting Venice for the 2022 edition of Homo Faber. The fair will be shining a light on the living treasures of Europe and Japan, with 15 exhibitions showcasing master artisans and exceptional objects curated by a team of world-class experts.

 

London Craft Week
9–15 May

London Craft Week returns to the capital for its eighth edition from 9–15 May 2022 with a programme of events celebrating exceptional creativity and craftsmanship from around the world. If you’d like to be involved, visit our website for more information about the festival and details of how to apply.

 

LOEWE Craft Prize
Seoul, Spring 2022

The fifth edition of the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize will take place in Seoul, bringing together a diverse array of objects that embody a commitment to experimentation and recognising artists whose talent, vision and innovation promise to set a new standard for the future.

 

Haegue Yang
M+, until 12 Nov

We were eagerly anticipating the opening of M+ last November, and have been excited to see their vibrant programme of exhibitions and commissions, including Sonic Rescue Ropes by Haegue Yang (pictured). If you plan to travel to Hong Kong this year, it’s well worth a visit.

 

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5 Makers To Know For 2022

 

Clara Pinto

Clara Pinto is a London-based Argentinian designer who creates intricate textiles using experimental craft techniques. From her studio in Hackney, the Sarabande Foundation alumni specialises in made-to-order womenswear using organic and upcycled materials. Wool is a valued resource and each season the studio introduces new breeds which are transformed into innovative textiles using their signature non-traditional felting method, creating garments with irregular volumes and transparencies.

 

Maria Sigma

Combining exceptional natural materials with a slow-making ethic, Maria Sigma’s work champions ‘zero waste’ design. Taking inspiration from her Greek heritage, Maria creates minimal, contemporary textile artworks that reinterpret traditional craft techniques and styles. Sustainability is central to her practice and she uses exclusively natural undyed materials, while striving to decrease yarn waste and use of machinery, water and electric energy.

 

Bisila Noha

Bisila Noha seeks to challenge Western views on art and craft in her work, which is primarily wheel-thrown with the distinctive addition of marbled slip decoration. Strongly influenced by Japanese ceramics, she makes ‘simple’ pieces that are used as a canvas for abstract landscapes. Describing herself as an art activist, Bisila co-directs the arts and activism organisation Lon-art Creative and she is part of the team behind Design Can, an initiative to make the design industry more inclusive and diverse.

 

Alexander Yetman

Alexander Yetman is a London based fashion designer reimagining traditional craftsmanship to create contemporary fine fashion that challenges gender stereotypes. Alexander has been creating bespoke evening wear and tailoring since 2018, combining delicate detailing with fluid fabrics and gender-neutral forms to produce garments that have been described by Lisa Armstrong, Head of Fashion at The Telegraph, as ‘elegance following purpose’.

 

Mary Wing To

Mary Wing To is a leather designer and harness maker who is revitalising the fine tradition of leather craftsmanship. After completing a degree in fashion design, Mary took a two-year saddlery course which gained her a QEST Leathersellers’ Company Scholarship to study with traditional whip maker Denis Walmsley. Mary is dedicated to preserving saddlery craftsmanship and practises the endangered craft of whip making. She has a deep appreciation for leather; sculpting, carving, dyeing and hand-stitching to create functional objects and sculptures.

 

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Featured image from Sarah Myerscough Gallery, Outside In: Natural Materials in Contemporary Design and Art during LCW 2021, photo credit Dan Weill

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Here at LCW our festive season is already well underway. Here is a small selection of experiences and one-of-a-kind gifts to help you celebrate yours.

 

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Bespoke Experiences

 

One of the truly special things about a bespoke gift is that it’s a process you can share together with your loved ones, experiencing first hand the time and care that goes into making something unique. Here are a few pointers for gifts that are special, easy to find, plus come in handy if you’ve missed the last date for delivery!

 

4160Tuesdays Fragrance
From £1,000

 

Scent is very personal, which makes it one of the most thoughtful things you can give. Maybe consider the bespoke experience at 4160Tuesdays? During an afternoon with Head Perfumer Sarah McCartney at their Hammersmith Studio, learn about fragrance making and create two 100ml bottles of artisanal perfume.

Image: 4160Tuesdays

 

Charvet
Price on request

 

In the words of Simon Crompton, founder of Permanent Style and an authority on classic menswear, ‘few places in the world compare to Charvet’. For that person who’s super-tricky to find the right present for, why not gift Charvet’s bespoke shirt-making service? If you’re feeling extra generous, you could book the Eurostar to Paris where together you can visit Charvet’s Place Vendôme shop for a made-to-measure fitting with a shirt specialist, followed by a well deserved lunch.

Image: Jamie Ferguson for Permanent Style

 

Peter Reed Bed Linen
From £480 for a bed set

 

Bespoke bed linen is a true luxury in the best sense of the word. After all, what better gift can there be than a good night’s sleep? Peter Reed’s handmade linen is synonymous with the rich heritage of English textile manufacturing, having been made to order since 1861. For something (or someone) very special, choose to add a monogram or commission your own design.

Image: Peter Reed 

 

Emefa Cole
Erosion 1 ring, £1,850

 

A beautiful made-to-order ring from a gifted jeweller, inspired by natural phenomena and the African landscape. Emefa Cole uses 100% recycled metals and stones sourced directly from African gem cutters to forge her distinctive pieces, which have been acquired for the permanent collections of the V&A and the Goldsmiths’ Company. Erosion 1 is influenced by childhood tales of golden nuggets unearthed by heavy rainfall in Ghana: ‘the land of Gold’.

Image: Emefa Cole

 

Quilting with Jennifer Raish
Selvedge online workshop, £195

 

A handmade quilt is a wonderful way to bring together off-cuts of favourite textiles and beloved garments from family and friends. Take inspiration from Annabelle Harty and Sheelagh Boyce of Arrange Whatever Pieces Come Your Way, whose quilts take hundreds of hours to hand-sew and are a physical manifestation of a long friendship. Feel like having a go at making your own? Jennifer Raish offers accessible online workshops, which will introduce you to traditional quilting techniques and teach you how to sew a small art quilt by hand.

Image: Jennifer Raish, Selvedge 

 

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A very LCW Christmas

 

At LCW we believe that extra bit of care and attention goes a long way to making something really special, even with the simplest of things.

 

The Japanese Art of Gift Wrapping
Furoshiki Gift Wrapping Workshop, £35

 

In Japan, the giving of gifts is an important cultural ritual, with the presentation as important as the present itself. This month, furoshiki expert Tomoko Kakita is holding gift wrapping workshops at Pantechnicon to celebrate the launch of her new book, Furoshiki and the Japanese art of gift wrapping. Join Tomoko to learn the key techniques and find out why furoshiki is a sustainable alternative to paper wrap. You’ll also receive a copy of Tomoko’s book.

Image: Pantechnicon

 

Jochen Holz Lustre Baubles
SEEDS London, £40 +VAT

 

Working with his own experimental techniques, Jochen Holz employs metallic oxides that are painted onto molten glass to create these ethereal lustre pendants – each one completely unique. A special addition to your own tree, or a thoughtful gift. Find Jochen’s work at SEEDS London, where Nathalie Assi also has a wonderful selection of other pieces at a wide range of price points.

Image: SEEDS London

 

Torta Di Natale Kit
Skye McAlpine, £42

 

Skye McAlpine’s Make-Your-Own Christmas Cake Set includes all the essentials to decorate a 9 inch Christmas Cake. Each set comes with a Christmas Cake recipe, cake drum, glacé fruits, nuts and yellow marzipan, as well as a gift box, gift label and seasonal green velvet ribbon to tie the box up with. You can bake your own cake or box it up and give it away as a holiday gift.

For more foodie inspiration, look to Konditor, the mince pies especially. Buy them online or in-store, and serve with a dollop of clotted cream.

Image: Skye McAlpine

 

Christmas Cracker Kits
Inq, £45

 

Bring some pop to your festivities with Inq’s marbled Christmas Cracker Kits, which come in Obsidian, Mistletoe and Pomegranate colourways. Each kit contains enough material to make 6 crackers which are 100% recyclable and will add a touch of Venetian charm to your tablescape. If you fancy going one step further, join Florence Saumarez of Inq for an introduction to marbling workshop.

Image: Inq

 

Monogrammed Napkins
Hawthorne & Heaney, monogramming services from £40

 

Another idea for your Christmas table: commission some bespoke embroidered napkins from Hawthorne & Heaney. A set of personalised table linen will last for many years and is a lovely way to mark the tradition of family and friends coming together around the dinner table.

Image: Hawthorne & Heaney

 

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Celebrate with Nyetimber
Special promotion

 

Classic Cuvee Multi-Vintage, £37

This festive season, why not consider giving a bottle of Nyetimber English Sparkling Wine to special friends and family members? Or better yet, stock up for your own celebrations! The signature wine of Nyetimber, the Classic Cuvee is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier and is a perfect balance of elegance and intensity. Use the code LCW-15-Christmas to get 15% off any order over £100. Also good for seeing you through your Christmas wrapping!

This offer can only be redeemed once per person and is valid until the 31st December 2021. For full terms and conditions see here.

 

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Featured image from  Crafting a Difference at the Argentine Ambassador’s Residence, photo credit Dan Weill

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Would you like to be part of LCW 2022?

 

LCW is committed to supporting the work of emerging artist-maker-designers. Each year we are delighted to offer 25% of our Bronze Level places free of charge to independent makers, charities and sole traders.

We are now welcoming applications from individuals who are keen to be involved in this year’s festival (9–15 May 2022) and are particularly keen to hear from makers and sole traders at the start of their career.

London Craft Week aims to showcase outstanding British and international creativity to our visitors. Our curated programme of events brings together discerning consumers with makers, designers, brands and galleries, creating a unique opportunity to build engagement and sales.

As there are a limited number of spaces, each applicant for a free space must send in a proposal of their event which will be reviewed by the LCW team, and then offered on a discretionary basis.

Please apply via the online form below if you believe you qualify. The deadline for programme applications is 14 January 2022.

 

Apply Here

 

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Featured Image: Dharma Taylor at Paul Smith during London Craft Week 2021

Photo by Dan Weill

The recently concluded seventh edition of London Craft Week was our largest programme yet. If you weren’t able to fit everything into the week then don’t worry, as you can still catch up on some of the talks and exhibitions that are continuing this month.

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Talks

 

Image: Mark Cocksedge

ReCoil: Brodie Neill in conversation with Marcus Fairs, Dezeen

 

Designer Brodie Neill is known for his mastery of materials, form, and process. Born in Tasmania and based in London, his work aims to recontextualise our relationship with materials and our role in the natural world.

During London Craft Week, Brodie joined Marcus Fairs, Founder of Dezeen, for an intimate conversation discussing how he has revisited the indigenous timbers of Tasmania through the innovation of Hydrowood, a precious resource reclaimed from the island’s lakes. The result of Brodie’s collaboration with Design Tasmania, ‘ReCoil’ was presented for the first time during London Craft Week, alongside Continuum, a selection of his major upcycled works.

The exhibition is open everyday until 27 October at 6-7 Motcomb Street, Belgravia.

Watch the talk

 

Image: Dan Weill

In Good Company: Lucille Lewin in conversation with Louisa Buck

 

Lucille Lewin discusses her collaborative exhibition with Nicole Farhi, ‘In Good Company: A celebration of creativity and friendship’, with Louisa Buck, contemporary art correspondent at The Art Newspaper.

The exhibition includes new works in bronze, jesmonite, porcelain and glass, produced during the lockdowns – which both artists found incredibly productive – alongside select earlier pieces, on view until 22 October.

Watch the talk

 

Image: Katarzyna Perlak, courtesy of Jerwood Arts 

Tender Crafts: Panel Discussion at Jerwood Space

 

Ann Coxon, Curator of International Art at Tate Modern is joined by contemporary visual artists Katarzyna Perlak, Rebecca Bellantoni and Raisa Kabir for a discussion which explores how crafts can be used to revisit and reimagine history from contemporary diasporic, feminist and queer perspectives.

Jerwood Arts presented this event alongside the exhibition Survey II, which continues at Jerwood Space in London until 11 December before travelling to Sheffield.

Listen to the talk

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Exhibitions

 

Outside In
Until 27 October

Sarah Myerscough Gallery presents ‘Outside In’: exceptional works of crafted art and design by international artist-makers who define their practice through their decisions to use organic, sustainable materials. These ancient materials; wood, willow, and grasses, are reimagined for the contemporary world as the makers express their devotion to nature. Find out more

 

Layers
Until 13 November

Discover ‘Layers’ at SoShiro, the first UK solo show from Cuban multimedia artist Alexandre Arrechea. Through a new collection of handmade furniture embellished with decorative mosaic work, created in collaboration with the Mosaic School of Friuli, Italy, Arrechea celebrates the relationship between the human body, architecture and colour. Find out more

 

Kuniko Maeda
Until 16 October

Kuniko Maeda is a Japanese artist based in London who works mainly with paper, leather and textiles to create handmade jewellery, artworks and installations. Contemporary Applied Arts is exhibiting Kuniko’s latest work, which combines the reuse of materials, including paper and leather, Japanese traditional craft techniques and modern digital technology. Find out more

 

Terrain: Works in Porcelain
Until 29 October

‘Terrain’ at jaggedart is a celebration of porcelain used in different ways. Lucas Ferreira’s works are made from small handcrafted fragments of porcelain, accumulated to form sequences and rhythms, evoking geological formations. Almost paper-like, Alison Gautrey’s spun porcelain vessels are translucent and weightless, capturing a feeling of movement. Find out more

 

Woven Narratives
Until 24 October

In a collaboration that celebrates the beauty of paper, Smythson hosts an exhibition at their Sloane Street store featuring works by artist Gill Wilson, in partnership with Guilded. The collaboration sees Gill create a series of bespoke artworks, which incorporate the telltale Nile Blue paper seen across Smythson’s iconic blue packaging. Find out more

 

The Art of Plaster
Until 22 October

Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler has a long history of commissioning bespoke works for clients from the UK’s finest craftspeople. This exhibition in their Pimlico Road showroom shows the vibrant plasterwork of Geoffrey Preston, an English architectural sculptor specialising in decorative plaster and the art of stucco, and includes a collection of recent floral inspired works. Find out more

 

Meaning Behind Materiality
Until 31 October

Don’t miss ‘Meaning Behind Materiality’, presented by Cynthia Corbett Gallery. The showcase offers a deep dive into different forms of craft such as ceramics, textiles and mixed media. Gallery artists include Matt Smith, Albert Montserrat and Klari Reis, in addition to Young Masters Amy Hughes, Amanda McCavour, and Emilie Taylor. Find out more

 

Cracked ft. Troy Town Shop
Until 29 October

‘Cracked’, curated by Leonie Mir, is dedicated to hand-moulded ceramics made without the use of a wheel. The exhibition, at Tristan Hoare Gallery, focuses on emerging and established contemporary artists who construct, sculpt and mould clay, demonstrating what can be achieved with ‘a little bit of mud and a little bit of genius’ (Paul Gauguin). Find out more

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Tell us what you think

 

 

Image: Tristan Hoare Gallery, Photo by Dan Weill

We would love to hear your thoughts on the seventh edition of London Craft Week. Please tell us about your experience through our 2021 survey. All entries will have the chance to win £500 to spend at Liberty London.

Take the survey here

 

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Featured image from  ‘In Good Company’, photo credit Dan Weill

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