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
-
Industrial chic meets Thai heat at the new incarnation of a beloved London restaurantSingburi 2.0 brings all the hot and sour thrills of the original haunt in cool Shoreditch surrounds
-
Comfort, kit and enduring aesthetics make the Hyundai Santa Fe utilitarian and upmarketTough looks conceal premium features as Hyundai takes its plug-in hybrid SUV upmarket. Wallpaper* tries out the stylish new South Korean 7-seater
-
Goldwin 0’s first-ever performance wear is body-mapped to keep you coolThe ‘Performance Capsule’ from Goldwin 0 – an experimental offshoot of Japanese technical wear label Goldwin – draws inspiration from trail running for its meticulously tested sportswear, which uses experimental ventilation techniques to help you work out in the heat
-
Design beyond humans: a new exhibition argues that the world doesn’t revolve around us‘More Than Human’ at London's Design Museum (until 5 October 2025) asks what happens when design focuses on the perspectives and needs of other species, from bees to seaweed
-
‘100 Years, 60 Designers, 1 Future’: 1882 Ltd plate auction supports ceramic craftThe ceramics brand’s founder Emily Johnson asked 60 artists, designers, musicians and architects – from John Pawson to Robbie Williams – to design plates, which will be auctioned to fund the next generation of craftspeople
-
‘Disabled people have always been here’: a new V&A show centres on disability in designCurator Natalie Kane takes us through five key exhibits from the London show, where design points the way to a more inclusive society
-
Malta’s London Design Biennale installation ‘reclaims death as a moment of reflection, not fear’Wallpaper* speaks with Andrew Borg Wirth, curator of Malta's installation, ‘URNA’, which reimagines cremation rituals
-
11 things that caught our eye at Clerkenwell Design Week 2025The Wallpaper* team bring you highlights from London’s Clerkenwell Design Week (20-22 May) – from public installations to product launches and a biscuit bar
-
‘R for Repair’ at London Design Festival displays broken objects, re-formedIn the second half of a two-part exhibition and as part of London Design Festival 2022, ‘R for Repair’ at the V&A displays broken objects, re-formed
-
‘Finding quality through the act of making’: Pearson Lloyd celebrates 25 years of designPearson Lloyd’s show ‘Change Making’ reflects on past designs from its archives, showcasing the influences on and evolution of the studio, from furniture design to the NHS
-
Tom Dixon marks his studio's 20 years with a show of design experimentsMushroom, cork, steel coral and more: Tom Dixon showcases an overview of his design experiments as he celebrates his practice's 20 years
