The E17 postcode of London’s district of Walthamstow may have been made famous by a certain faux fur-clad boy band in the 1990s, but nowadays it is home to a rich creative scene, populated by artists, designers and makers. Now, on the occasion of the E17 Art Trail, an exhibition is showcasing some of the area’s brightest creatives, with a brief that saw each of them work with a local material to create bespoke craft pieces.
‘The exhibition came about through a chance meeting with the local church, St Mary's,’ says Gavin Coyle, a local craftsman who has organised the ‘St Mary's Headstocks’ show. ‘They had just replaced the headstocks that hold the bells, which had been there since 1778,’ he continues. ‘Walthamstow has always been known for its makers, so working with a local material – we wanted to give it to local craft practitioners.’
Keen to show the talent of E17 to the world (or at least those following the trail of open studios, exhibitions and performances), he set about gathering a crew of artists in the area who could come together and turn this discarded wood, destined for the skip, into exquisite craft pieces.
The full lineup includes Coyle himself, Dale Stephens, Will Elsworthy, Nathalie De Leval, and Forest and Found (made up of artists Max Bainbridge and Abigail Booth). While they may have all received the same material, the results show off just how diverse each of these makers are.
‘As a woodworker, it's not everyday you get the opportunity to use a material that's hundreds of years old, so it was fantastic to work with the elm itself and to see how it could be fashioned into something new,’ Coyle says. ‘As such, each artist has interpreted the beams in a different way creating new forms whilst preserving something of its original presence’.
Find the pieces along the trail until 16 June and unlock the area’s creative energy. ‘The exhibition really shows off the diverse talent and strong community we have here in the borough,’ Coyle muses.
INFORMATION
‘St Mary’s Headstocks’ is on view until 16 June. For more information, see E17 Art Trail website
ADDRESS
56-58 Boundary Road
Walthamstow
E17 8JU
-
How We Host: Interior designer Heide Hendricks shows us how to throw the ultimate farmhouse fêteThe designer, one half of the American design firm Hendricks Churchill, delves into the art of entertaining – from pasta to playlists
-
Arbour House is a north London home that lies low but punches highArbour House by Andrei Saltykov is a low-lying Crouch End home with a striking roof structure that sets it apart
-
25 of the best beauty launches of 2025, from transformative skincare to offbeat scentsWallpaper* beauty editor Mary Cleary selects her beauty highlights of the year, spanning skincare, fragrance, hair and body care, make-up and wellness
-
Step inside Faye Toogood's intimate cabinet of curiosities at PAD LondonFor PAD London 2025, (until 19 October) Faye Toogood presents The Magpie’s Nest with Friedman Benda
-
Rajan Bijlani opens his Primrose Hill home for ‘Electric Kiln’In his London home – once the studio of ceramicist Emmanuel Cooper – Rajan Bijlani stages ‘Electric Kiln’, uniting Frank Auerbach, Lucie Rie and Cooper in an intimate reflection on the creative spirit of postwar London
-
These are the design exhibitions to see in London during Frieze WeekWe round up the best design events happening in London in conjunction with Frieze Week 2025: discover collectible design and craft across the city
-
Norman Foster and nine other architects design birdhouses for charity – you can bid‘Architects for the Birds’ is spearheaded by Norman Foster and the Tessa Jowell Foundation to raise funds to improve treatment for brain cancer. Ten architect-designed birdhouses will go up for auction
-
The David Collins Foundation celebrates creativity in all its forms at London Design FestivalThe David Collins Foundation presents ‘Convergence’ at the Lavery during London Design Festival 2025 (on view until 19 September), featuring works from the Arts Foundation’s annual Futures Awards
-
Lee Broom’s brutalist-inspired ‘Beacon’ will light up London as Big Ben strikes the hourSet to pulse through London Design Festival 2025 (13-22 September) and beyond, the British industrial designer’s sculptural light installation on the South Bank draws on its surroundings
-
Yuri Suzuki turns sound into architecture at Camden Arts ProjectsThe sound designer unveils ‘Utooto’, an interactive installation at London’s Camden Arts Projects (until 5 October 2025), in which visitors collaboratively build a sonic piece of architecture
-
Alex Tieghi-Walker unveils his plans for Brompton Design District 2025Ahead of London Design Festival 2025, we catch up with New York gallerist Alex Tieghi-Walker about his appointment as curator of the Brompton Design District programme
