Los Angeles-based creative studio and production company, Ways & Means, are adept at bringing a brief to life. Upon co-founding the agency in 2012, Lana Kim has worked as a producer across everything from music videos, to films and commercials, for brands including Spotify, Nike and Dior.

'As soon as I saw the storyboards, I knew I wanted to be a part of bringing this idea to life,’ says Kim, upon being approached by Jaime Gerin, Olivia Rodrigo’s creative director, and co-director for The Cure music video alongside Cat Solen. ‘Jaime first came up with the idea, and within hours had drawn the storyboards herself. She had written on the storyboards “I cannot stress enough that the entire hospital is made out of arts and crafts”, and that note was very much taken to heart. So much cardboard and yarn!’

The making of 'The Cure' music video, by Olivia Rodrigo

Where did the idea for the hospital set originate?

Lana Kim: As Jaime listened to the song, she envisioned Olivia as a nurse trapped in a cycle, experimenting on hearts, and unravelling herself in the process – so a hospital made sense. It was our little handmade hospital!

The challenges were really the massive undertaking of building this set and making sure that everyone on the team was aligned on how to achieve these shots. Thankfully, we had an incredible team that made it all look like a breeze.

That balance between practical and digital was always part of the conversation from the beginning. Digital effects were only used to supplement and enhance the handmade feel. The sets were fully handmade, and the elements hand animated, but to combine these worlds, we needed some CG. So we partnered up with our friends at Pretend VFX to seamlessly incorporate the stop motion work with the live action, and enhance the world we had already built and captured in-camera.

What was the experience of working with stop motion?

Working with stop motion animation is always so magical. Animation is filmmaking distilled to its purest form – movement frame by frame coming to life right before our very eyes!

Having Cat Solen’s expertise made all the difference. She has a rare ability to draw emotion out of an inanimate object and pull everything together into one world, as if it all existed together in the first place.

How did you balance the symbolic and practical here, such as with the yarn and the unravelling?

The unraveling was really the climax of the video, so we had to make sure that everyone was aligned on how to make that happen. It took many many meetings with Cat & Jaime, our production designer, the animation team, and VFX team to align to make sure that happened seamlessly. What you see in the video is a mix of puppeteers pulling yarn that was attached to Olivia on set, and some stop-motion yarn that we shot during post production. All enhanced by CG and VFX.

What details did you enjoy focusing on?

My favourite part of the operating room set was the glass block windows, which were made from plastic take-out containers. Liam Moore, our incredible Production Designer, really brought that spirit to even the smallest of details. A lot of the stop-animated “liquid” in the beakers are beads from Jaime’s personal bead collection.

Building the team is always the best part – so many people involved that are just so passionate and incredible at what they do. Overall, there were more than 125 people who worked on the project and helped make this video: from our production designer and the art team to the set, prop, and miniature designers and fabricators, wardrobe, hair and makeup, production team, to the DP and camera team, lighting technicians and grips, drivers, stop motion animators, editor, VFX artists and colourist.

How closely did you work with Olivia on this project?

Despite shooting other videos, hosting SNL, doing press — Olivia was very involved throughout the entire process. Looking at references, mockups, and storyboards, giving input each step of the way. She had a specific vision of what she wanted which immensely helped in building her this handmade world.

There was an air of excitement in Singapore this evening (12 May 2026) as the Loewe Foundation announced South Korean artist and ceramicist Jongjin Park as the winner of its annual Craft Prize at a ceremony in the National Gallery.

Park, whose slumped seat-like form was selected for its ‘sculptural presence’ and ‘ability to confound expectations of what ceramics can be’, receives the silver trophy and a €50,000 prize, while two special mentions, Baba Tree Master Weavers with Álvaro Catalán de Ocón and Italian jewellery designer Graziano Visintin, each receive €5,000.

For the 30 finalists, hailing from 19 countries and regions, just making it to this point in the competition is a dream come true: they were each chosen from a staggeringly large pool of 5,100 entrants – up from 4,600 last year – by a panel of 12 experts, who convened for two days in Madrid to create the shortlist.

‘I think the result of being a finalist is that somebody acknowledges what you do and accepts it as being valid in a way,’ says Danish ceramicist and finalist Morten Løbner Espersen, whose cylindrical glazed stoneware vessel was informed by the Copenhagen cityscape. ‘It’s important to have this as an artist or craftsperson – a pat on your back, as if to say: “Just go on, you’re not far off.”’

In the museum, the works are displayed on brightly coloured plinths, ranging significantly in size and technique, from the imposing scale of Nobuyuki Tanaka’s glossy black lacquer hemp vessel to Adelene Koh’s intricate paper sculpture that employs an English style of bookbinding from the 18th and 19th century. The winners were decided by a panel of 14 judges – including design critic Deyan Sudjic, designer Patricia Urquiola, architect Frida Escobedo and Met Museum curator Abraham Thomas.

Loewe Craft Prize 2026 winner, Jongjin Park

Loewe creative directors Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough joined the Craft Prize jury for the first time this year, following the departure of Jonathan Anderson, the prize’s longtime champion and mastermind. ‘It was really interesting getting together with these jury members because they all come from such different backgrounds,’ McCollough said. ‘One person might be judging something based on the way it’s constructed, whereas another jury member might be looking more at the cultural significance of the work.’

However, despite these differing viewpoints, Park’s piece was a unanimous decision from the outset. ‘We were fascinated by the technique specifically,' said Hernandez. 'We had never seen this idea of porcelain and paper coming together – it’s such an odd, strange materiality.’

Made using an innovative slip casting technique that replicates the process of sedimentation, Park’s piece is built from folded, porcelain-slip-coated paper. After drying, the form is fired, burning away the paper layers and leaving a single ceramic body. Natural creases, compressions and shifts have been retained on the surface during shaping, creating a patchwork-like surface of shifting colour and texture.

Runners-up Baba Tree Master Weavers in collaboration with Álvaro Catalán de Ocón won the judges over with their ‘Fra Fra Tapestry #2’ – a monumental, communally woven elephant-grass textile that depicts overhead drone imagery of circular adobe housing in Ghana’s Gurunsi region.

Graziano Visintin’s geometric necklaces are made using a melting and moulding technique that can be traced back to the Ancient Egyptians. Minuscule metal sheets are folded, welded and partially decorated with niello before being melted into a clay pot with sulphur – a recipe used by Theophilus, a 12th-century Benedictine monk. Layered together with cubes constructed from thin gold sheets, the result is goldsmithing in its noblest form.

Loewe and craft: a love story

Craft has become something of a buzzword in the luxury sector, as brands clamour to talk about it in an effort to convey cultural clout. Following a Milan Design Week where every major brand, from fashion to tech to automotive, adopted craft as part of their marketing language, it’s easy to feel cynical about the intention.

At Loewe, however, the connection to craft runs deeper. ‘Loewe’s love story with craft is unquestionable,’ Sheila Loewe, who has been President of the Loewe Foundation since 2012, tells Wallpaper*. Founded in 1846 by her great-great-grandfather, the craftsman Enrique Loewe Roessberg, Loewe began its life as a specialised leather workshop in Madrid, producing high-quality leather goods such as purses, wallets and cigarette cases.

The foundation was set up in 1988, two years after LVMH bought the rights to international distribution – it acquired full control of Loewe in 1996. It wasn’t until 2016 that the Loewe Craft Prize came into existence under the brand’s former creative director and champion of craft, Jonathan Anderson.

‘I welcome it if it’s good for craft,’ Loewe says of the influx of luxury brands embracing the term. ‘If it is helping the craft world, I’m super happy – but not if it’s just to make profit off it.’

One of the aims of the Loewe Foundation is to broaden the reach of the prize by bringing it to cities where, the brand says, there is growing interest in contemporary craft, such as Singapore. ‘The next generation is very interested,’ finalist and Singaporean artist Adelene Koh told Wallpaper*. ‘But there’s a lack of mentorship. The general public are not very aware of contemporary craft.’ The Loewe Prize coming to Singapore, she adds, ‘is a very good opportunity for young Singaporeans to see that craft can belong within this landscape’.

Preserving craft for the future

The threat of craft traditions disappearing and lack of opportunity for the next generation was a shared concern for many of the artists we spoke to from all corners of the globe. In the UK, Jobe Burns, whose monolithic ‘Laying Vessel’ sculpture – rusted steel on the outside and lacquered red within – was made in collaboration with craftsmen in a factory in Walsall, England that specialises in large industrial metal-forming.

‘It’s an industry that’s disappearing,’ he told us. ‘Which is partly why the vessel is lying down – it represents that exhaustion. The craftsmen I work with are all specialists, and they’re all in their forties or older. And now, their industries have been outsourced elsewhere.’

Through his work, Burns hopes to draw attention to their skill and expertise. 'My practice as a whole is really birthed from the notion of labour, I reference the tradesman in same way I reference artists,' he adds.

Similarly, Lagos-based Nigerian artist Fadekemi Ogunsanya uses an endangered Yoruba resist dyeing method known as adire eleko, where canvas starch made from yams is used to draw patterns onto fabric with a feather quill. The fabric is sent to Kano in Northern Nigeria where it is dyed in the centuries-old indigo dye pits of Kofar Mata before being embroidered and hand-beaded to accentuate the lines of the patterns.

‘Unfortunately, [the technique] is dying out,’ Ogunsanya told Wallpaper*. ‘Most of the time now it’s stencil or stamping patterns, no longer the freehand drawing. That’s why it’s really important to share knowledge and document and advance the craft.’

Others such as Soohyun Chou, whose bronze vessels are cast in 3D-printed moulds, see opportunities to push craft forward by incorporating new technology where appropriate. ‘I think new techniques are something we have to embrace,’ Chou said through a translator. ‘I want to bring the technique into my work, but as just a small portion of it.’

For Sheila Loewe, the Craft Prize is a chance to tell these stories to the world, giving artists and craftspeople a global platform. ‘Craft is about our cultural heritage,’ she says. ‘There are very important skills that have already been lost forever. When they are lost, it’s too late. At Loewe, we are all in love with craft, and we want to make it contagious.’

All 30 of the shortlisted works will be exhibited at National Gallery Singapore from 13 May until 14 June 2026.

Applications for the 2027 Loewe Craft Prize open in June 2026 and is open to anyone over 18 years of age working in a craft-based profession.

loewe.com

Collect, the international fair for contemporary craft and design, returns to Somerset House in London from 27 February to 1 March 2026 (with a preview on 26 February). Now in its 22nd edition and under new director and Wallpaper* alum TF Chan, the fair features 40 galleries and arts organisations presenting collectible design, furniture and craft across ceramics, glass, lacquer, metalwork, textiles, wood, jewellery and paper.

At the heart of the fair, in Somerset House’s West Wing, the Collectors’ Lounge offers a dedicated space for networking, relaxation and engagement. Designed by Tola Ojuolape, founder and creative director of Tola Ojuolape Studio, and sponsored by the makers of 3D-modelling software Trimble SketchUp, the lounge is inspired by the concept of a ‘maker’s library’ – a contemporary homage to a traditional library, focused on making, materiality and craft. Instead of rows of books, the space uses shelving, seating and tactile materials to encourage exploration and conversation.

The lounge functions as both a working space and an installation. Its layout, as such, comprises three overlapping zones: a quiet area for books, archives and audiovisual content; a makers’ lab for experimentation, co-working and live demonstrations; and a soft, café-like corner for conversation, rest and encounters with local artisans.

Materiality defines the space, with a calm palette of felt, wood wool, sheer voiles and pigmented tones that complement Somerset House’s historic architecture. Furniture – from a central banquette to movable pouffes and communal tables – is flexible, while curated artworks, including numerous Director’s Choice selections, are displayed with intention. The installation is lightweight, recyclable and adaptable, leaving a strong impression without a heavy footprint.

Elsewhere at Collect, highlights include contemporary lacquer pieces by Yoshito and Kojin Yamashita, Yuki Nakamura and Ken Noguchi; and cross-cultural projects from Hiroki / White Conduit Projects. Galleries such as Gallery Fumi, Peter Layton London Glassblowing, and Siat Gallery showcase ceramics, glass and jewellery, while Mia Karlova Galerie, Max Radford Gallery and House of Bandits focus on furniture and lighting made from recycled or experimental materials. Thematic displays will explore transformation, scale, gardens and humour, while Collect Open presents 11 socially engaged installations by emerging artists. Stay tuned for our highlights later in the week.

Collect 2026 is open 26 Feb: preview day, 11am-9pm; 27 Feb: 11am-8pm; 28 Feb: 11am-6pm; and 1 Mar: 11am-5pm; tickets are £32

Once a year, the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize offers a reminder of what the human hand can do – and how far contemporary making can stretch tradition. Thirty finalists have been named for the 2026 edition, spanning ceramics, textiles, furniture, metalwork, lacquer and glass. The works will be shown at the National Gallery Singapore from 13 May – 14 June 2026, with the winner announced on 12 May.

The 2026 jury will be chaired by the Loewe Foundation president Sheila Loewe and includes leading figures from the design, architecture and museum worlds – Frida Escobedo, Deyan Sudjic and Patricia Urquiola are among them – with Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez joining for the first time as Loewe’s creative directors.

Selected from more than 5,100 submissions from across 133 countries and regions – with the Republic of Korea the most represented, contributing six artists across disciplines – the shortlisted works sit between balance and rupture, pairing inherited techniques with contemporary intervention. What unites them is an extraordinary command of material: a level of skill that pushes the limits of what seems possible.

The Craft Prize was launched in 2016 by the Loewe Foundation as a tribute to the Spanish brand's beginnings as a collective craft workshop in 1846, and as a way to highlight the importance of craft in today’s culture. Any professional artisan aged over 18 can apply for the award, with the sole requirement that the submitted work combines an innovative application of the featured craft with an original artistic concept.

Among the compelling works is ‘Fra Fra Tapestry #2’ by Baba Tree Master Weavers × Álvaro Catalán de Ocón: a monumental, communally woven elephant-grass textile that translates overhead drone imagery of circular adobe housing in Ghana’s Gurunsi region into a graphic plan, then hands the 'interior' spaces back to the Ghanian weavers for pattern- and mark-making.

Among the UK contingent, Jobe Burns’ ‘Laying Vessel’ channels West Midlands manufacturing heritage via heavy metal-forming and chemical patination: a conical steel vessel with a lacquered red interior and rusted exterior reads like a 'human body after labour – emptied but alive, an image of both exhaustion and endurance'.

The shortlist is particularly strong in works that use structure to create optical effects. Taiwanese artist Chia-Chen Hsieh’s ‘Rhythm in Grid’ suspends thousands of ultra-thin bamboo strips inside a cubic frame to generate a rippling spherical pattern – a precise feat of tension and curvature that reframes bamboo craft as spatial drawing.

Nearby in spirit, Seoul-based Jongjin Park’s ‘Strata of Illusion’ builds a rectilinear seat from folded, porcelain-slip-coated paper: after firing, the paper burns away, leaving a warped ceramic mass that records collapse as part of its architecture.

More intimate in scale, Adelene Koh’s ‘Endless’ reimagines the concealed endband of a book as sculpture. Using traditional 18th-century sewing techniques, the Singaporean book artist builds a circular form from thread and folded paper, turning a hidden structural detail into an architectural object.

In Xanthe Somers’ ‘The Caretaker’s Clotheshorse’, a coiled stoneware vessel slumps against its own internal frame, its woven-clay exterior referencing Zimbabwean basketry.

Textiles also carry narratives. Nigerian artist Fadekemi Ogunsanya’s quilt, ‘We Are Not Lying, Your Language is Not Enough’, combines Adire Eleko resist-dyeing (including work in Kano’s Kofar Mata indigo pits) with embroidery, beading and Yoruba script – a surface that treats cloth as both image and message.

Elsewhere, reinvention takes centre stage: Kyoto-based lacquer artist Nan Wei’s ‘Knot-Loving’ reworks the Japanese Shippi lacquer technique using leather, while Coco Sung’s ‘Shadow Kkokdu’ reimagines Korean funerary figures as small, talismanic characters built from clay, lacquer, wire and beadwork.

The winner will receive €50,000, with two special mentions awarded €5,000 each. This year also sees the Loewe Foundation partner with Belmond to launch three two-month residencies for selected artists at La Residencia in Mallorca. The countdown to May begins.

When we sit down to speak with designers Stephen Burks and Malika Leiper – newly honoured in the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2026 as Best Helping Hands – they say they are fulfilling a long-held dream by living in Paris, the latest location to serve as their base since 2024, reflecting a practice in which home is less a fixed point than a network of places shaped by relationships and work. Over the past year, the designer and cultural director have reshaped their lives around residencies and collaborative projects in Montana, Senegal, Alabama, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and rural Japan, using each location as a testing ground for new ways of working at the intersection of craft, community and industry.

For Burks, who found international acclaim as a New York-based product designer, and Leiper, who grew up in Cambodia and trained as an urban planner, their nomadic model is a way to rethink what a design studio can be. Rather than sketching from afar, they embed themselves in local communities: sitting with quilters in Gee’s Bend, Alabama, or working with foresters and carpenters in Yoshino, Japan. The goal, as Burks puts it, is to be ‘as close to making as possible’ – and to use design as a conduit between worlds that don’t usually meet.

Stephen Burks and Malika Leiper: rethinking the design studio in a craft-oriented future

Leiper and Burks’ partnership began at Harvard, where Burks was completing a Loeb Fellowship and Leiper a master’s in urban planning. When the pandemic hit, they suddenly found themselves grounded and asking ‘what design could actually do’ in the face of overlapping crises. A parallel dialogue with curator Monica Obniski at Atlanta’s High Museum of Art invited them to consider ‘spaces where design doesn’t typically exist’, from domestic rituals to spirituality and mourning at home. The result was the 2022 exhibition ‘Stephen Burks: Shelter in Place’, which displayed speculative domestic objects that marked the start of their collaborative practice. As Burks points out, ‘Our work and personal lives have always been very intertwined and continue to be so today.’

This period also reframed Burks’ long-running project, Stephen Burks Man Made, which has, for nearly two decades, sought to ‘bring the hand to industry’ by connecting artisans, manufacturers, non-profits and distributors. ‘Our goal is to believe in the possibility of trade, not aid, and to develop products that build upon capacity and move design in a new direction,’ he says. The practice has become increasingly nomadic, shaped by residencies and workshop-based projects.

‘We make no distinction between art, design or exhibitions,’ Leiper says, and residencies have become a structural part of their approach. Recent projects have taken them from Montana and Senegal to filming with contemporary Kuba makers in Kinshasa. Kuba textiles – a centuries-old raffia weaving tradition from the Kuba Kingdom in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo – have become a thread running through their most recent work. Invited by the Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, to design an exhibition around Charlotte-based textile designer Wesley Mancini’s collection of historic Kuba textiles, Burks and Leiper quickly realised that they wanted to understand not only the past of this craft but its present. This led them to Congo and to Kuba collective Kilubukila, pushing the technique into new forms, challenging the idea that it is a ‘lost art’.

In Yoshino, Japan, they began exploring how Kuba’s abstract geometries might converse with the local cedar forests and Shinto spatial traditions, creating sculptural pieces that pair cedar ‘bodies’ with ceremonially dressed Kuba surfaces; these were then shown at Space Un Tokyo as part of their 2025 exhibition, ‘Kuba Sugi’. From there, a collaboration with engineered wood specialist Alpi translated Kuba motifs into marquetry and veneer that were presented at Design Miami last December.

What links these projects is less a visual signature than a set of questions: who gets to participate in contemporary design? How can long-established techniques be allowed to evolve, rather than be frozen to fit Western expectations of ‘authenticity’? And what kinds of economic structures need to be in place for this work to move beyond one-off commissions? ‘What really makes it so meaningful is that you have so many different hands and voices playing a role in the process,’ says Leiper.

Burks and Leiper are clear that their role is not to parachute in with ready-made answers. They talk instead about challenging artisans as equal partners, and designing processes rather than simply objects – as with the Gee’s Bend quilts, where they didn’t draw the compositions, but set up the framework within which they were made. The project was developed in dialogue with Sew Gee’s Bend Heritage Builders and informed by Burks and Leiper’s longstanding relationship with Italian textile house Dedar, with whom they have collaborated for nearly 15 years. The resulting quilts appeared in the US Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale as part of Burks and Leiper’s curatorial contribution, ‘Objects of Belonging’, bringing the Gee’s Bend quilting community into dialogue with a global design audience and expanding the contexts in which these traditions are seen and understood.

In this sense, they describe themselves as conduits, or, as Burks jokes, ‘the tube’, connecting small cooperatives in Malawi or Naples with brands such as Dedon and Roche Bobois, who can put pieces into wider circulation. ‘We want to influence the systems of design that define who’s involved, what we’re making, how we’re making it, who benefits from it,’ he says.

The pair draw parallels between their practice and that of Isamu Noguchi, whose refusal to separate sculpture, furniture and landscape design offers a model for working fluidly across disciplines. Burks and Leiper contrast this with what they see as the 20th-century obsession with a singular, recognisable style. Their own output can appear disjointed at first glance – quilts, cedar sculptures, outdoor furniture, museum installations – until you start to see the common threads: a belief in ‘other centres’ beyond Europe and the US, and a reluctance to get ‘stuck’ in any one category. ‘There are always other ways to live, and we should never be getting stuck,’ Burks says. ‘This is what motivates us, the constant search for a new approach and not being defined, not being categorised.’

This runs counter to an industry that, in their view, is becoming more conservative. Big brands tend to return to the same names, especially in precarious times. Burks and Leiper argue that this is precisely when risk-taking is most needed, and when new voices should be shaping the agenda. Their travels only strengthen this conviction: in Brazil, they encountered a self-sufficient ecosystem of local design brands operating far from the industry’s usual centres, reinforcing their belief that ‘many centres, not one’ should define the future. This looks exhilarating from the outside; in practice, it comes with its challenges. Now into their second year of a fully nomadic set-up, they prefer longer residencies – ideally three months or more in one place – which give them the chance to slow down and immerse themselves more fully in their surroundings. One of the biggest learnings, they both agree, has been about looseness: trusting that ideas can emerge from being present, rather than arriving with a finished concept. Their workshop-based model, implemented in more than 20 countries across six continents, has provided them with the greatest education of their lives. For Burks, the lesson has been to keep resisting stasis – creatively, emotionally, structurally. ‘It’s also about finding freedom,’ he says. ‘If there’s really one thing that we absolutely agree on every day, it’s about trying to find that space to be free. Freedom equals fun for me, always.’

The Wallpaper* Design Awards 2026 winners are featured in full in the February issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News + from 8 January 2025. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Bottega Veneta has unveiled Bottega for Bottegas 2025, the newest chapter of its annual tribute to the small-scale artisans who embody the house’s devotion to craft. Introduced in 2021, the initiative has become a powerful stage for independent workshops whose heritage, technique and creative spirit echo Bottega Veneta’s own.

'This year’s collection celebrates workshops in cities that have profoundly shaped our story – Venice, Milan and New York,' says Bottega Veneta CEO Leo Rongone. The brand invited an artisan from each location to reinterpret the unmistakably Italian ritual of the aperitivo. The resulting objects form an exquisite, modern still life: a pair of silverplate glasses from Milan’s Ganci Argenterie; sterling-silver cocktail sticks with a sculptural knot by Brooklyn silversmith Heath Wagoner; and a handbound journal by Venetian Paolo Olbi, imagined for cocktail recipes and evening reflections.

'[These] workshops represent, individually and together, a profound commitment to the preservation and innovation of artisanal and creative culture,' continues Rongone. Paolo Olbi is a masterful bookbinder whose works draw on Venetian, Byzantine and Islamic motifs. In New York, Heath Wagoner’s hybrid background in industrial and jewellery design translates into finely finished barware and tableware; and atelier Ganci Argenterie – founded in 1926 and now led by the third generation of the Morandino family – stands as one of Milan’s oldest silversmiths.

The project pays homage to the geographic and cultural lineage that has shaped Bottega Veneta for nearly six decades. Founded in Vicenza in 1966, the house grew up in close orbit to Venice, drawing on the city’s artisanal traditions and fluid landscapes. Venetian influence runs deep at the brand, from its iconic knot motif to the early production of fragrance flacons made from swirling glass. That said, Bottega Veneta also looks outward: in 1972, its first boutique opened not in Italy but on Madison Avenue in New York – although by the late 1990s, the house had relocated its design studio to Milan, where its headquarters and runways remain today.

With Bottega for Bottegas 2025, Bottega Veneta once again honours the artisans and cities that shaped its past – while reaffirming the relevance of the handmade in the present.

For more details of the artisans, view the collection at bottegaveneta.com

In the heart of Rajasthan, where sandstone walls still carry the breath of centuries, Jaipur stands as a place where past and present glow together in shades of pink. Once a royal stronghold and now a laboratory of creativity, its streets bustle with unruly rickshaws even as they echo the grandeur of kings. From the filigreed Hawa Mahal palace to new design-forward restaurants, from the astronomical wonders of observatory site Jantar Mantar to sleek boutiques, and the City Palace where Mughal and Rajput aesthetics merge, the Pink City wears its heritage like an heirloom while stepping confidently into the future.

Jaipur’s cultural renaissance – where heritage and the future collide

'Jaipur has always attracted artists from across cities and countries; that’s what has led to the city’s rich cultural heritage,' says His Highness Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur, known as Pacho to his friends, HH to his team, and the 'Gen Z maharaja' to the international press. A polo player graduated in cultural heritage management and art history, he is intent on steering Jaipur toward global relevance in craft and contemporary design.

'A similar phenomenon is happening now, on an even grander scale. We’re seeing the influx of artists, designers, and creatives synthesising Jaipur’s heritage with contemporary approaches to art. This is leading to something new: Jaipur’s modern identity as a hub of creativity and the arts.'

This vision took shape with the establishment of the Jaipur Centre for Art (JCA), founded by Singh in collaboration with curator Noelle Kadar, which opened its doors in November 2024. Set within the regal surroundings of the City Palace, JCA spans 2,600 sq ft as a public exhibition space. On its recent first anniversary, it unveiled artist Ayesha Sultana’s ‘Fragility and Resilience’ exhibition and the sixth edition of contemporary sculpture platform ‘The Sculpture Park’, at the historic Jaigarh Fort. These openings join a cultural calendar that already includes internationally known events, such as Jaipur Literature Festival led by, among others, historian William Dalrymple, and Jaipur Art Week, founded by Sana Rezwan, both of which next return in January 2026.

'Since Jaipur was designed 300 years ago to be a city of crafts across disciplines, we see JCA as a continuation,' say Kadar. She recalls the city’s famed chattis karkhanas (36 specialised craft industries, from gemstone-cutting to miniature-painting), many of which once had their own streets and markets. 'Today, 11 of these traditional crafts survive,' she notes, alongside the architectural artisanship that remains an essential skill to conservation projects across India.

Few people embody this continuity more than the Kasliwal family. Court jewellers at the invitation of Jaipur’s founder Maharaja Jai Singh II since the 1700s, they established their jewellery house, Gem Palace, in 1852, opening a flagship store on the city’s Mirza Ismail Road. From behind its gleaming vitrines, nine-generation scion and current helm Samir Kasliwal reflects: 'What makes Jaipur remarkable today is how exceptionally its craft traditions have been preserved. People travel from all over the world to discover the talent concentrated here.'

Under Jai Singh II’s patronage, the city’s jewellers perfected meenakari, the art of enamelling on precious metals. Today, the technique takes centre stage at the new Museum of Meenakari Heritage, run by the House of Sunita Shekhawat, the family-run fine jewellery brand that recently launched its first collection of collectible objects (including glorious mirrors, decorative spoons, even a pill box), honouring the craft while pushing it into unexpected dimensions.

A similar interplay of tradition and innovation drives designers such as Akshat Ghiya of Tallin Jewels. After decades of rapid industrialisation, he sees makers combining traditional craft with fresh perspectives, 'to create things that speak a global language but have that Indian soul'.

A centre of excellence dedicated to India’s textile heritage, housed in a restored haveli, Nila House represents this rising desire for authenticity and slow, meaningful processes. 'Our workshop rooms serve as creative hubs where artisans, designers, and researchers collaborate,' says director Anuradha Singh. With exhibitions, research initiatives, and a not-for-profit retail atelier, Nila House acts as 'a living archive, a place where craft is preserved, reimagined, and shared with the world'.

This renewed interest in handcrafted excellence is reshaping how travellers experience the city. 'Fifteen years ago, people came for a day or two,' Kasliwal notes. 'Now some stay for ten days just to explore its crafts. The city gravitates toward those who push limits, who turn their emotions into something tangible.'

The tourism world has noticed this trend as well. Among the latest openings for food enthusiast is Sarvato, the seasonal restaurant inside the City Palace. The result of a collaboration between HH and restaurateur Abhishek Honawar, this year it presents the result of an immersive research program dedicated to Rajasthan’s culinary heritage and wisdom through its traditional tools and vessels: urns, brass thalis, wooden ladles, stone grinders, and tiffin: each plate speaking of legacy, of land, history, people.

Speaking from Polo Palladio, the newest incarnation of the 116-year-old Rajasthan Polo Club, Dutch designer Marie-Anne Oudejans, who designed the exuberant interiors, describes Jaipur as a creative hub. The club is among her collaborations with Swiss-Italian entrepreneur Barbara Miolini, including the now-iconic Bar Palladio and Villa Palladio hotel, which have shaped a bold and unmistakable contemporary visual language rooted in local tradition.

'There is a group of foreigners living in Jaipur all year round, everyone established in their field and bringing their creativity,' she says, pointing to ventures such as IDLI by Thierry Journo, the French designer’s fashion and homeware company centred on vibrant textiles using local techniques; The Palace Atelier, an eclectic concept store at the City Palace offering a contemporary take on Jaipur’s arts and crafts heritage, by local Princess Gauravi Kumari and French creative director Claire Deroo; and fashion brand De Castro, by Colombian-born designer Virginia Borrero de Castro, which combines traditional Indian artisanship with global inspiration.

This openness is bringing global attention to workshops that were once hidden. 'Because of social media, the internet, and the fast pace of transportation, the finest workshops (once best-kept secrets) are now being discovered and celebrated,' says Parth Seth, founder of Frozen Music. His atelier, known for reviving traditional lapidary arts, blends techniques passed down for generations with state-of-the-art technology that extends, rather than replaces, the hand of the artisan.

At Jaipur Rugs, artistic director Greg Foster sees this momentum as part of a broader cultural awakening. 'It’s as if a renaissance is unfolding: people are discovering not only Jaipur’s skills but its energy.' Founded by NK Chaudhary in 1978 with nine weavers, the Indian maker of fine rugs now spans more than 600 villages and tens of thousands of artisans. Last year's opening of Aspura Gallery in Jaipur brought contemporary editions together with rare antiques, further raising the global profile of rural craftsmanship. Jaipur Rugs, Foster says, has helped shift perceptions, elevating the artistry of weavers long overlooked.

Threaded through all the city’s many and varied crafts is a single conviction: in Jaipur, heritage is not merely alive. It evolves, adapts, and continues to shape a city that refuses to choose between memory and imagination; it relies, as it always has, on both.

On the side of a bus shelter in Sarajevo, someone has scrawled a quote from Chuck Palahniuk’s novel Fight Club: 'It’s only after we’ve lost everything, that we’re free to do anything.' It may sound a touch Hollywood, but the sentiment feels apt in Bosnia, a country that just 30 years ago was torn apart by war. For its citizens, the years since then have been about rebuilding – finding a way to heal and move forward, while asking what it is they want to become.

For Orhan Niksic, this has meant breathing new life into Zanat, his family’s century-old woodcarving business.

Based in Konjic, a town 56 miles south-west of Sarajevo, the company preserves the region’s craft heritage while looking to the future. Nestled in dramatic forested mountains, Konjic has a long history of woodcarving, which – thanks to Zanat – achieved Unesco certification in 2017.

As Niksic, a former economist, wisely observes, to save the past, we have to move forward. 'We didn't want to destroy our heritage and start something completely new,' says Niksic, remembering the time ten years ago when he and his brother Adem relaunched the business with a new direction. 'We understood, and I think we were very much attached also to the knowledge and history of the woodcarving craft and were determined to preserve it.'

It was a bold move at a time when many suggested they take a different path. 'Many people advised us otherwise,' he recalls. 'They said if you want to build modern design and furniture, forget about the craft. But for us, this was never an option.' Their vision – to modernise without erasing tradition – has become Zanat’s defining philosophy, and one that continues to guide every decision today.

Now, at just ten years old, Zanat has built a roster of collaborators that would make even the most established design houses green with envy – Michele De Lucchi, StudioIlse, Yves Behar, Naoto Fukasawa, Monica Förster, Sebastian Herkner, Palomba Serafini Associati, Harri Koskinen, Wingårdhs, Jasna Mujkić, Patrick Norguet and Jean-Marie Massaud.

All but two were present in October 2025 for the opening of an exhibition celebrating the ten-year milestone, which launched 12 new pieces showcasing the beauty of the atelier’s handcarving techniques. The anniversary designs – all small-scale accessories and home objects – were unveiled for the first time at the brand’s Sarajevo showroom.

Swedish designer Monica Förster, who designed a set of trays for the occasion, has served as the brand’s creative director since its reinvention ten years ago and has been instrumental in shaping its new direction.

'I have been trying to be a part of moving Zanat towards what I myself am missing in today’s design world – a collaborative sense of community which is about something more than just designing another piece of furniture,' she told Wallpaper*. 'In a world that right now is about defining differences, this project for me is about building bridges and coexistence in a creative way. It is about creating a community that bridges Bosnia’s cultural heritage with the designers’ own heritage, working towards a common cause – exploring a new universe of design and art.'

Zanat’s approach to collaboration is deeply considered. 'They felt they'd discovered a new artistic medium, a way to express something unique,' says Niksic, reflecting on why so many creatives want to work with the brand. 'We don't approach designers just because they're big names – we look for people whose philosophy aligns with ours. I was very fascinated by designers like Ilse Crawford, whose whole focus is the impact of design on human emotions and wellbeing.

'From the very beginning, we’ve imagined design as having a broader social purpose – in our case, helping to preserve the craft.' It’s an approach that has attracted leading names who might otherwise have little reason to work with a small Bosnian brand. 'They see that there is a good team behind Zanat, that we can execute their vision. It’s not only about woodcarving – the joinery, the finishing, every detail has to be at the same level for the product to succeed.'

Other ten-year-anniversary pieces include a set of salt and pepper shakers by Naoto Fukasawa with hand-carved tactile grooves; a small table by Michele De Lucchi; a playful fruit bowl by Wingårdhs; a wine bucket and stand by StudioIlse (a type of object that the studio's head of product design, Oskar Peña, notes is often overlooked); a vase that fuses glass and wood by Sebastian Herkner; and a series of small textured containers by Yves Behar.

All are made using a combination of modern CNC technology and traditional handcarving techniques that are taught and practised at Zanat’s Konjic HQ. When we visit on an October morning, sunlight streams through the windows of the carving room, where a mix of master craftsmen and younger apprentices – both male and female – are earnestly hammering and scraping away at planks of locally harvested ash, cherry, oak and walnut.

Zanat’s commitment to training extends beyond the workshop. The company recently launched a woodcarving academy in partnership with the Academy of Arts in Sarajevo, establishing a formal grading system to develop skills and attract a new generation of craftspeople.

Since its founding, Zanat has trained more than 70 young makers. 'When we started, it was almost exclusively a male profession,' says Niksic. 'Very, very few women throughout the history of the craft have practised. We've opened it to both without discrimination, and we've popularised it.'

At the nearby Konjic showroom, formerly the company’s workshop, craftsman Besim Niksic – Orhan's 89-year-old father – lives above the premises. Here, there is now a museum that proudly celebrates the region’s longstanding connection to woodcarving and offers visitors a chance to learn about Zanat's roots. The museum, opened in 2019, has since been honoured with the European Museum Academy’s premier award and named Best Slavic Museum by the Forum of Slavic Cultures.

In 2023, Zanat opened its first flagship store, Home of Zanat, inside Sarajevo’s National Art Gallery, where the ‘Zanat Ten’ exhibition is being held. Conceived not as a traditional showroom but as a cultural platform, the space connects directly to the gallery’s exhibition hall and regularly hosts events, talks and workshops that celebrate excellence in design, architecture and art. There’s even a small coffee bar, serving a locally roasted Zanat Blend, and plans for a specialist bookshop devoted to the same creative disciplines.

Craft remains at the heart of the brand, but the team is constantly developing new patterns and ideas that keep things fresh and engaging. For Niksic, the pieces presented at the ‘Zanat Ten’ exhibition embody the brand's decade-long journey – one in which the preservation of tradition and the pursuit of innovation remain inseparable.

'Our vision,' he says, 'is to become the world’s best and most innovative woodcarving company – to be the go-to name for handcrafted, sustainable design.' He adds, 'And I hope in doing that we can redefine what luxury means. For us, it's not about being pompous or flashy. It's about how things are made and how long they last.'

Home of Zanat, National Art Gallery
Zelenih beretki 8
Sarajevo 71000
Bosnia & Herzegovina

One of Britain’s most progressive farm-to-table restaurants – Osip, in Bruton, Somerset – is putting art on the menu this autumn, unveiling an artist-in-residence series that celebrates craftsmanship and material intelligence.

Founder and chef Merlin Labron-Johnson – whom we interviewed recently for our Work in Process video series – knows a thing or two about craft. Embracing a philosophy of ‘cooking only with what grows locally’, his Michelin-starred restaurant is a haven of good taste and exquisite detail. And now, it serves as a stage for artists and makers to showcase their creative sensibilities.

‘A Gathering’ at Osip

Titled ‘A Gathering’, the exhibition is curated in collaboration with Jacqueline Moore (former director of craft-focused Make Hauser & Wirth Somerset) and runs until 1 March 2026. It brings together ceramic works by Ken Eastman, Florian Gadsby, Sue Paraskeva, Nicola Tassie and Derek Wilson, alongside wood sculptures by Mark Reddy and black-and-white photography by Jonty Sale. Each piece explores the tactile and the elemental, echoing the restaurant’s seasonal rhythm and connection to landscape.

‘In the same way that a chef uses their ingredients, the maker uses the natural resources around them to create something new, distinct and evocative,’ says Labron-Johnson. Across Osip’s soft, earth-toned interior – its curved walls, exposed beams and terracotta floor – the works find natural resting points: mounted on walls, nestled in alcoves, perched on ledges and sills. Together, they extend the restaurant’s language of warmth, precision and restraint.

‘The intimacy of the dining experience, and the subtle quality of light, create a place of warmth and hospitality; an extension of the home,’ adds Moore. ‘In “A Gathering”, the familiar and domestic, the natural and organic, merge into recognisable or abstract forms, asking questions and provoking curiosity.’ All artworks are available for purchase, with a programme of events and talks at Osip set to unfold over the coming months.

Osip is located at 25 Kingsettle Hill, Hardway, Bruton BA10 0LN, United Kingdom.

American interior designer Nicole Hollis launches her eponymous collection of objects, featuring a curated selection of pieces from international makers and creatives who embody her sophisticated approach to spaces.

The Nicole Hollis Collection comprises limited-edition and one-of-a-kind objects made by artisans hand-picked for their timeless aesthetic and rigorous approach.

The Nicole Hollis collection

During more than two decades at the helm of her studio, Hollis has cultivated meaningful creative relationships with makers, artisans and designers from all over the world, and has collaborated with many of them on a wide range of interior design projects.

Hollis’ inaugural collection of design objects for the home features more than 160 pieces, by 23 makers and artists, such as Rogan Gregory, David/Nicolas, Arno Declerq, Alexandra Llewellyn, Toyine Sellers and Michael Anastassiades. 'Each object, reads a note introducing the collection, 'reflects Nicole’s personal journey, built over decades of collaboration, travel, and creative exchange’.

Among the collection's highlights are brass grinders by Anastassiades, leather and goat-hair napkin rings by Peter Speliopoulos, woven horsehair pillows by sculptor Alexandra Kohl, minimalist stoneware by Samuel Sparrow and even a speaker made from a coconut, by Dutch company Cocobo, originally created for Hollis' Kona Village Resort in Hawaii.

The overall palette is restrained, favouring monochromatic tones and natural materials throughout.

'The collection is rooted in mindfulness,' says Hollis. 'Each piece has been built slowly, the culmination of over 25 years of working with some of the most gifted designers, artists, and craftspeople that I’ve been fortunate enough to know, or that I always wished to. Many of these pieces have been previously procured for private clients, and others have been designed specifically for our collection; I am honoured to make them available to a wider audience.'

Shaped by natural disaster and civil war, the Guatemalan city of Antigua has a history as restless as the volcanic earth on which it sits. Creative studio Nada Duele is the latest practice of young makers reckoning with that heritage, both material and political. Its new collection traces a journey of displacement in five pieces handcrafted by local artisans, which becomes an exploration of their very disappearance.

The emigration of Guatemala’s skilled artisans is all too common: ‘It’s happening everywhere in our country,’ explains Nada Duele’s creative director Giselle MacDonald. Touched by the growing challenges facing her native Antigua, she founded the studio in 2019, later joining forces with long-time collaborator Mariano Orellana, who shared her approach to craft as a ‘tool for storytelling with care and conscience’.

An exodus of Guatemalan talent (a number estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands each year) is one such challenge these designers have actually lived, not just observed. This series of objects – beautiful at first glance, unsettling at second – is born of a demand to translate that story. With families fractured, cultural identity unravelling, and an economy weakened by the loss of skilled work, it’s not only the past that’s slipping away, but the future of Guatemala with it.

Nada Duele casts its makers not as victims or symbols, but as protagonists, narrating the real-life journey of one such artisan, who, struggling to sustain a dignified life, is forced to flee.

For a collection pierced with pain, ‘Sudor Silente’ (silent sweat) seems an apt opener. Fired in molten flame and punctured with 34 metal nails, this jar is a tribute to toil and sacrifice, forged by invisible hands. An interpretation of the traditional red clay tinaja pot, it’s an example of the fusion of contemporary design with historic craft that is fast emerging across Central America. ‘But with artisans leaving in such numbers, we risk losing those tools and traditions with them,’ adds Orellana.

Other pieces toy with trust and betrayal, promise and peril. The iron arms of a series of candleholders rise from rough-hewn stone bases, twisting and tangling, gnarled and choking, ‘like a knot in the throat’. At each turn, the passage of displacement is weighted by ‘a sense of voicelessness, an inability to speak the native language, or even that gripping sense of fear’.

Satirical board game ‘Lo Que Nos Toca Jugar’ (what we have to play) began, at conception, as a game of chess, but quickly changed form – it was too strategic, too deliberate. This particular game, the designers realised, was ruled by chance. And to no one’s surprise, it comes with a twist; conventional playing pieces are swapped out for cleaning tools, baby bottles and spades, representing the new lives and jobs of the migrant craftspeople.

Carved out of native woods from the Petén jungle, the largest remaining tropical forest of Central America, this is the careful handiwork of female-founded enterprise Itza Wood. A frequent collaborator of Nada Duele, Itza Wood dedicates its practice to providing better employment opportunities for artisans, fighting the odds unfairly stacked against them.

Nada Duele’s collection suggests there is cause for hope: ‘La Remesa’ (the remittance) is a handwoven tapestry of a traditional casa de remesa, the region’s brightly-coloured homes that are made with money sent back from overseas. Adorned with tassels and yellow glass-blown drops, the work is an uplifting, complex portrait of hope and heaviness, ‘sending light home while navigating darkness abroad’.

A version of this article appears in the October 2025 Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

You might know Burlington, Vermont, population 44,000, for its New England charm, left-leaning politics and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. But one local interior design studio hopes you'll soon know the city's collectible design scene, too.

Nurture by Nature, founded by designer and fourth-generation Vermonter Kate Swanson in 2020, is opening a gallery on 4 September that aims to put small-town creativity on the map.

Inside new Vermont gallery Nurture by Nature

Located in a brick industrial building on Burlington's waterfront, the gallery will host an inaugural group show, titled ‘Unknown Friends’, featuring furniture and more by Northeast makers. The aim? To connect artists, designers and collectors within Burlington, and help establish a blossoming creative community.

‘Craft is the new luxury,’ says Swanson, who returned to her home state in 2022 after years working as a project manager and interior designer in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. ‘It’s unique, personal and there is always a face behind the piece, not just a name; it’s true opulence.’

The new space steps away from typical white-box galleries, with its brick walls, moody colour palette and soft drapery. Much like Swanson's studio, the gallery is designed to embody her ethos, that ‘design is a deeply human, and collaborative process’.

‘Unknown Friends’, which can viewed by appointment only until 30 October, features collectible furniture, lighting and decorative objects. Although contemporary, they are designed to explore the concept of recognition and memory. The pieces are crafted by 15 northeast makers including Natalie Shook, Luke Malaney, Ford Bostwick, Basia Pruszyńska, Chuck Van Dyck, Bechara Maalouf and Yuxuan Huang.

Each item – from ceramic vessels to hand-crafted furniture – embodies how the artists see Vermont. ‘There’s no single, anchored "Vermont look", says Swanson, ‘and when people ask for a “Vermont house”, it invites conversation rather than certainty.'

‘[Vermont] is a place that responds to the environment and embraces those who want to belong,' she adds. 'Even after 14 years away, it's where I feel most at home.’

Nurture by Nature is located at 47 Maple Street, Suite 307, Burlington, VT, 05401
‘Unknown Friends’ is on view from 4 September until 30 October 2025, by appointment
n-by-n.com/

Spanish fashion house Loewe has announced the winner of its 2025 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize – dedicated to celebrating the contemporary evolution of traditional craft practices – as Kunimasa Aoki. The Japanese sculptor was chosen for his terracotta work ‘Realm of Living Things 19’ (2024), in which layers of clay have been stacked and compressed – expressing cracks and distortion from the force – before being smoked and coated with soil and pencil marks. He describes the work as ‘50 per cent tradition and 50 per cent innovation’.

Aoki was selected as the winner by a jury of 12 leading figures from the worlds of design, architecture, journalism, criticism and curating, including designer Patricia Urquiola, ceramicist Magdalene Odundo, and architect Frida Escobedo. The panel praised Aoki’s technical accomplishment, skill, innovation and artistic vision, selecting his work for its use of the ancestral coil process and its intricate surface details. As the prize winner, Aoki receives €50,000.

30 finalists were shortlisted for the prize, displaying a range of international craft skill and creativity. Alongside Aoki as the winner, two other finalists were given special mentions by the jury: Nifemi Marcus-Bello and Studio Sumakshi Singh.

Marcus-Bello, a Lagos-based designer and artist, was celebrated for his work ‘TM Bench with Bowl’ (2023). The sculptural furniture piece of simple geometric forms is created from reclaimed aluminium from the car industry, cast in pieces before being welded together and sanded. The work explores ideas of globalisation, trade and the dynamics of power, becoming a powerful yet practical meditation on consumerism and the life of materials.

In a recent interview with Wallpaper*, Marcus-Bello discussed how the intersection of craft, history and function is central to his approach, which investigates how materials influence and reflect the societies that use them. ‘Objects are more than their function,’ he explained. ‘They carry histories, relationships, and meanings that shape how we interact with them.’

Studio Sumakshi Singh, based in Gurugram, India, comprises artist Sumakshi Singh, alongside Birendranath Sarkar, Samarjeet Samarjeet and Bikas Barman – working across textiles, threadwork, sculpture, painting and installation. For the Craft Prize the studio was highlighted for its work ‘Monument’ (2024), a life-size reimagining of a column from a 12th-century colonnade in Delhi, made using copper zari, a metallic thread. The jury praised the delicate structure of the piece and the way it forms a testament to the resilience of cultural histories in the face of physical degradation over time.

The other finalists for the prize spanned a diversity of mediums and craft practices, including glassware, jewellery design, pottery, woodworking, furniture making, embroidery and silversmithing. All the finalists’ work is on show at Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid until 29 June 2025.

The Loewe Foundation Craft Prize is an annual award established in 2016 by the Loewe Foundation, a cultural body that the fashion brand set-up in 1988 to support design, culture and craftsmanship. The prize honours Loewe’s origins, as a craft workshop of leather artisans which began in 1846.

Book tickets for the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize exhibition at Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid until 29 June 2025

A glorious spell of sunshine has swept across the UK of late, fast-tracking the transition from winter via spring and straight into what feels like summer already. The natural world has roared out of hibernation. Eggs have hatched. Trees are in full bloom. There could be no better elemental backdrop for the arrival of artist Jonathan Baldock’s latest commission, recently unveiled in the Ballroom Gallery at Jupiter Artland, on the verdant outskirts of Edinburgh. WYRD is a coven of magical creatures, handmade by Baldock in textile and clay, standing together in pairs in a semi-circle that feels simultaneously protective and conspiratorial. Visitors join the silent group, and there’s an uncanny sense that it is we, not they, who are being observed.

The species in question are each scientifically proven to have same-sex interactions, and relationships even: giraffes, lizards, horses, cats, mice, chickens. Indeed, the premise of the show was born from a news story about a bond between two male penguins at Edinburgh Zoo. Baldock was first intrigued and then dismayed by the nature of the reporting, which suggested the reason these two male penguins were in a relationship was because there was a shortage of female penguins. The tone of the coverage was mawkish, with a sinister undertone in certain places of homophobic bias. It stirred something in Baldock, who had a religious upbringing and is himself gay. The penguins’ behaviour was deemed weird and unnatural, feelings any queer person can relate to in their own awakening.

‘WYRD’, the title of Baldock’s show, has a palimpsest quality to it. ‘In pre-Christian culture, “wyrd” was personified as a Goddess with the power to determine destiny across earthly and spiritual realms,’ Baldock writes in the exhibition’s opening text. Wyrd is an Old Norse word meaning ‘exceptional otherness’. The word has accrued different insinuations over time: magical, dangerous, strange, unnatural, aberrant – arriving today as a slur, more than a complement. Baldock himself has been described as weird, and titling his show with the word’s Old Norse origin is, he explains, a reclamation of its more wonderful and wonder-filled definition.

‘I’ve made these creatures more magical than they ordinarily are,’ Baldock explained at the show’s opening. ‘I’ve played with their scales, and given them new features – hands, noses, ears, faces – cast in ceramic from myself and my partner (the artist Rafal Zajko). They are beautifully monstrous; from a queer perspective, we identify with monsters, rule-breakers and creatures outside the perceived norms of society.’ The creatures have a folk energy, and a certain nostalgic aura. They are familiar, more than threatening and Baldock explains how their forms and details were inspired by vintage soft toy ‘how-to books’ from the 1970s and 1980s.

Baldock worked seven days a week for three months making each animal pair by hand in his studio. There’s a strangely visceral, bodily appeal to them – you sense the fact they have been wrestled out of a psyche into physical form. The metamorphic process of humble sackcloth and coconut fibre stuffing becoming works of art gives them a compelling Frankenstein alchemy. Standing in pairs lends the animals a power, but there’s an intentional Noah’s Ark echo too, of course. We’re left unsure whether they are waiting to board or they’ve been denied access to the Ark for their otherness and are deliberating their fate together. There is palpable tension and poignancy here; something meaningful is softly implied, yet left hanging in the air. The mood is heightened by the pristine primness of the decorated Ballroom Gallery in which they wait. You want to hug them and tell them it's not a phase – it’ll be OK.

‘WYRD’ is a magnificent commission and moving experience. Baldock describes the work with poetic and precise allegorical confidence. ‘Having grown up with a religious background, today I look to the natural world for spiritual sustenance,’ he says. ‘My faith is in nature, and nature is queer. Scientific evidence about same-sex behaviour has existed for decades, but has been routinely ignored or buried, and has only surfaced recently. It’s important to see yourself in this world that we live in – naturally.’ Away from the huddle of forms in the room on the mantelpiece sits a nest with an egg on the verge of hatching. ‘It’s a nod to the next generation,’ Baldock explains. And with that, we descend back into the garden with its pollen-filled air, feeling as if we’ve been granted access to something extraordinary – earthly, primal, animal and spiritual – wyrd in the most wonderful possible way.

‘WYRD’, Jupiter Artland, Edinburgh. From 10 May - 28 September 2025

Jupiterartland.org

Jonathan-baldock.com

Artists are pushing traditional craft techniques in all manner of directions at the 2025 London Craft Week (LCW), while stretching the possibilities of their materials to the max. The standouts in this sprawling – and sometimes discombobulating – showcase of more than 400 exhibitions, installations and performances across the capital are artworks that find dynamic new expression for heritage skills, though other installations have caught our attention with their material innovation or quiet poetry.

London Craft Week 2025: our highlights

Smoke and Mirrors

Among the LCW shows at The Lavery in South Kensington, a series of mirrors by Peascod – the Somerset studio founded by Emma and Tobias Peascod – are particularly transfixing, making you stare deep into their murky depths. Emma reimagines verre églomisé, the traditional art of reverse gilding, to create mercurial reflective surfaces, while Tobias uses jesmonite and bronze to sculpt frames that capture untamed nature, such as thorns, feathers and creepers. They call their work a contemporary take on Rococo but it feels fresher than this, thanks to its deliciously dark edge.

peascod.studio

Hair-raising forms

Also at The Lavery, the artist Dahye Jeong is making a soulful case for sculpting with horse hair at the ‘Landscape of Materials’ exhibition, presented by Soluna Art Group. The 2022 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize winner weaves these equine strands into diaphanous forms that recall men’s headwear of the Joseon Dynasty, for those in the know – but for the rest of us, they have a drama all of their own.

Washi wonders

Japanese washi paper finds fresh form in the hands of a variety of designers and artists at LCW, wrapping furniture by David Horan at No. 9 Cork Street, for example – courtesy of Béton Brut – and a monumental, 2m-tall floor lamp by Yanxiong Lin at Charles Burnand gallery in Fitzrovia. Both are finished with lacquer, with the latter working the inner surface of his tree-like form with grains of silica sand to create a rough texture that reflects and refracts the light, making it radiate a moody glow. It is part of the gallery’s ‘Remembered Futures’, an exhibition of artists who honour the lineage of Asian craftsmanship, while reimagining it in bold new forms.
charlesburnand.com

Secret Ceramics

An illustrious roll-call of artists has anonymously donated ‘pieces of themselves’, as FiredUp4 charity co-founder and ceramicist Kate Malone puts it, to the Secret Ceramics sale at Christie’s auction house, presented in partnership with LCW. All works are available for a minimum donation of £500, but buyers won’t know which artist made them until later. Eagle-eyed visitors with a passing bit of ceramics knowledge will quickly identify works by the likes of Freya Bramble-Carter, Edmund de Waal and Bouke de Vries, but they will need to snap them up fast. Proceeds go towards FiredUp4 studios in London, giving young people from disadvantaged backgrounds access to the wonders of clay.

londoncraftweek.com

Turning the tide

Brogan Cox – creative director of Sebastian Cox studio – has stepped into the limelight with her first design collection, ‘Tides’, for the brand she co-founded with her partner, made in collaboration with marbling artist Nat Maks and shown at No. 9 Cork Street. Both are based in the seaside town of Margate and have drawn inspiration from the ocean. The sycamore tables have soft, rounded edges that recall drift wood, while the marbling captures the ripples and colours of a tidal pool at different times of day – ranging from fresh green and blue tones to sunset shades of pink and purple.

Painterly wood

While at No. 9 Cork Street, don’t miss the new ‘Woodstrokes’ furniture collection from Brodie Neill, who has long been creating new design languages with waste. In this case, he stacks wood veneer off-cuts, then twists, carves and moulds them into tables, mirrors and shelving using a bio-epoxy resin. Their grains appear like brush strokes on the surfaces of the furniture, to painterly effect.

brodieneill.com

Ancient forms reborn

From afar, Ash & Plumb’s vessels – drawing on Greco-Roman, Southeast Asian and Saxon forms – look like they have been plucked from an archaeological dig, yet they are actually fashioned from unseasoned English oak off-cuts, which the duo turn on a lathe, hand-carve, scorch, oil and stitch. Each piece conveys a memory of the past, shaped into something new and intriguing. See them close up at The New Craftmaker on Pimlico Road.

thenewcraftmaker.com

In the crowded calendar of international design weeks, country-specific showcases can be hit or miss. At their best, they spotlight creative cultures on the brink of global recognition. At their worst, they read like hastily assembled national portfolios, more diplomatic than design-driven. ‘Romantic Brutalism: A Journey into Polish Craft and Design’, firmly lands in the former category –more provocation than presentation. The exhibition was first unveiled at Milan Design Week 2025 and is now on view in Warsaw until 14 May at the newly restored Gawroński Villa.

Curated by Federica Sala and supported by the newly established Visteria Foundation, the exhibition marks the centenary of Poland’s debut on the international design stage at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. 'Poland [as it is today] was established as a nation in 1918, and the very first thing it did to present itself to the world – to say, “We have a national identity” – was to participate in the 1925 Expo in Paris,' says Sala. 'For the centenary, they revisited that idea: presenting the nation through art and design.'

The show brings together 25 contemporary Polish designers, spanning emerging voices and established talents. 'The goal wasn’t to showcase young designers,' Sala explains, 'but rather to highlight those whose work reflects the essence of Polish design.'

Both the Milan and Warsaw stagings were installed within domestic spaces, which allowed the exhibition to be structured across a sequence of rooms loosely organised by material. 'The idea was to focus on materials commonly used in Polish design,' says Sala, 'glass, ceramics or porcelain, wood, metal, and textiles.'

In the room dedicated to glass, curling, botanical sculptures by Filomena Smola rested atop plinths shaped like disembodied arms and hands emerging from the floor. Elsewhere, in the wood section, finely crafted pieces by Aleksander Oniszh and Anna Bera explored the tactile extremes of the medium: Oniszh’s chair was shaped by mechanical improvisation, while Bera’s oval mirrors revealed the human touch of hand-sculpting. Both were displayed on asymmetrical blocks that nodded to Poland’s brutalist architecture, playfully adorned with childlike scribbles that conjured images of schoolyard graffiti.

Lace, one of Poland’s most iconic traditions, was reinterpreted in unexpected ways. 'The intention was to connect with the past, but also to show how things have changed,' Sala says. 'For example, Kasia Kucharska created rubber lace – a yellow tablecloth in one red room, and black rubber lace flowers in another.' Fashion designer Zofia Chylak – one of the few working in wearables – presented two dramatic pieces made in collaboration with artisans from the town of Bobowa, using traditional bobbin lace techniques. The accessories feature daisy, lily, and chestnut leaf motifs, rooted in folk tradition but unmistakably modern in execution.

Unifying the experience was the scenography by Zuza Paradowska of Paradowski Studio, who imagined each room as a kind of theatrical disruption. Her most striking gesture came at the entrance: the walls and ceilings were covered with hand-dyed paper cut-outs – a nod to Poland’s wycinanki folk art tradition – transforming the threshold into a kaleidoscopic, folkloric portal.

'I hope this exhibition positions Poland as a serious player in the world of art and design,' Sala says. 'It’s not something that’s just emerging – it’s already here.'

'Romantic Brutalism: A Journey into Polish Craft and Design' takes place at Willa Gawrońskich, al. Ujazdowskie 23, Warsaw until 14 May 2025. The exhibition is organised by the Visteria Foundation

London Craft Week 2025 starts 12 May, activating the UK capital with over 400 exhibitions, installations and workshops celebrating making in all its forms. From metalwork and ceramics to textiles and furniture design, the 11th annual edition of the citywide festival showcases creativity across a wide range of disciplines, and champions both the continuation of heritage techniques and the embracing of new innovations. Here are some highlights of the week.

What to see at London Craft Week 2025

No. 9 Cork Street

A series of exhibitions at No. 9 Cork Street, Frieze’s Mayfair gallery, presents work from an array of exciting contemporary makers. A group showcase curated by design gallery Béton Brut features furniture from Grace Prince, David Horan and Archive for Space set among mirrors by the late artisan metalworker Salvino Marsura. Prince has been gaining attention in the design world for her elegantly ascetic furniture assemblages, while Horan innovates with ‘vegan vellum’ paper upholstery and Archive for Space presents new seating in unsealed aluminium. Elsewhere at No. 9, craft-led installations are exhibited from marbling artist Nat Maks and furniture maker Sebastian Cox, glassware designer Yali Glass and master metalworker Kita-san, material-driven designer Omer Arbel, and many more.

14 – 17 May

9 Cork Street, W1S 3LL

londoncraftweek.com

‘Smoky Softness’ by Cesca Dvorak

Artist and designer Cesca Dvorak creates textiles and home furnishings inspired by her Polish heritage and love of folk art. With decorations depicting sumptuous florals, traditional dances, tiger stripes and love hearts, Dvorak’s works are screen printed or hand-painted on organic cotton, Irish linen and hemp silk. In a special installation for London Craft Week, Dvorak’s textiles are presented in a domestic scene inspired by visits to folk museums in Poland, accompanied by slipware ceramic pieces made in collaboration with potter Ed Hill.

12 – 17 May

Turn, 47 King Henry's Walk, N1 4NH

cescadvorak.com

Future Icons Selects

This expansive fair showcases the work of over 50 artisans – from 3D-printed ceramics to furniture made using rare heritage craft practices. Exhibitors include design studio Selfish Customs, which uses marbled concrete, ribbed terracotta, gypsum and woven river rush to create playful and characterful furniture, and Cãtãlin Filip, who makes unexpected ceramic lighting, furniture and sculptural objects inspired by the movements and distortions of nature. Ceramics is also at the heart of Victoria Loyola’s work, which includes colourful lamps and tableware inspired by the landscapes of Latin America, drawing on her Costa Rican heritage.

15–18 May

83 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY

futureicons.co.uk

Ground Works

County Hall Pottery, a ceramics gallery and pottery studio which opened its doors during last year’s London Craft Week, hosts an exhibition dedicated to the relationship between raw materials and ceramic creation through the lens of sustainability. Centring process and research, ‘Ground Works’ – curated by Elena Gileva of GLOST Glaze – showcases how contemporary makers approach material testing and development in their practice. Featured in the group exhibition is Golden Earth Studio, which works with artists and designers to recycle construction waste from housing developments into objects such as vases, tables, chess sets and more.

13–18 May

County Hall Pottery, Belvedere Road, SE1 7PB

countyhallpottery.com

RCA Well-Making Café

Driven by the belief that creativity has a positive impact on health and wellbeing, the Royal College of Art (RCA) hosts a pop-up ‘Well-Making Café’ at its Battersea campus. For one day, RCA students run a series of participatory crafting workshops open to all visitors, celebrating the processes, places, people and materials involved in collective making. Learn how to twist and braid rope out of natural fibres such as grasses and leaves; create a traditional Mexican molcajete bowl out of clay; weave a mandala pendant inspired by the decorative ceiling patterns from the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, China – and much more.

16 May

RCA DesignBar, Dyson Building, 1 Hester Road, London, SW11 4AN

rca.ac.uk

London Craft Week takes place 12–18 May across London. For the full programme visit londoncraftweek.com

From the pearliest palace interiors to the most epic couture creations, a new residency programme presents an opportunity to explore the uppermost echelons of India’s extraordinary artisanal capability and design talent. Conceived by interior designer Shalini Misra, the Shakti Design Residency aims to offer a glimpse of what can be possible, foster new collaborations, and shatter preconceptions all at the same time.

Raised in India, and now based between Delhi, New York and London, Misra has spent nearly three decades seeking out talented artisans around the world for her interior design projects, and her experience of India’s exceptional craftsmanship and collectible design means she has long been aware of the potential of opening this market up to a wider audience (Misra’s Delhi home is a ‘Made in India’ sanctuary). ‘The timing feels particularly important now as we witness a global shift towards valuing craftsmanship and innovation,’ she says.

In spring 2024, Misra and her team put out an open call for applications, and from some tough competition, five emerging designers from around the world were selected, then flown to India, where they were each partnered with one of five respected ateliers: Tarun Tahiliani, Klove Studio, Vikram Goyal, Jaipur Rugs, and the Chanakya School of Craft.

For four weeks, under the guidance of their mentors, the designers were immersed in their respective heritage crafts and India’s history and culture, simultaneously tasked with creating a new collection. The results, showing at Alcova 2025 during Milan Design Week, will be produced in limited-edition runs, available to buy on Misra’s retail platform Curio Space, and Basic Space, the LA-based digital marketplace founded by Design Miami chairman and Shakti panellist Jesse Lee.

The residency has been guided by an advisory panel featuring a cohort of established cultural voices, including Yves Béhar, Marcin Rusak, Nilufar Gallery founder Nina Yashar, Morphogenesis founder Sonali Rastogi, Benjamin Paulin, ECAL director Alexis Georgacopoulos and The Future Perfect founder David Alhadeff.

Two weeks into the residency, which took place in Delhi, Jaipur and Mumbai, Wallpaper* joined Misra, Rusak, Georgacopoulos and Alhadeff to check in on the designers’ progress, which included visiting their mentors’ ateliers and being treated to behind-the-scenes tours of workshops, homes, palaces and galleries as Misra’s network stepped up to support the initiative.

First fruits of the Shakti Design Residency, as showcased at Alcova 2025

Duyi Han x Tarun Tahiliani

Duyi Han, from China, holds a B Arch from Cornell University. In 2023, he was a Créateurs Design Awards winner, and in 2025 he designed the set for the Curated section at the Collectible Design Fair in Brussels. For Shakti, Han was paired with Tarun Tahiliani, one of India’s leading couturiers, renowned for his pioneering take on traditional Indian dress and intricate, innovative use of rich embroidery work and textiles.

Han’s residency experience was a whirlwind immersion in Indian culture and craftsmanship from the off. His resulting collection includes a chandelier, a table lamp and a chair/bench, each exploring the concept of devotion and storytelling in India’s wedding traditions. The chandelier draws from circular elements in India’s visual culture while evoking the vibrant emotional energy reminiscent of religious objects. The lamp references the cutting pattern of the choli (blouse) while the chair/bench is inspired by the sherwani (groom’s coat). Echoing the visual style of Mughal painting, it depicts an embroiderer at work.

@duyi.han, @taruntahiliani

Kickie Chudikova x Klove Studio

New York-based, Slovak-born industrial designer Kickie Chudikova has had an impressive career trajectory, with a growing roster of awards to her name for both her own collections of furniture and lighting and commercial design projects. She was matched with Klove Studio, renowned for its striking, highly-sought-after handblown chandeliers and glassware.

Drawing inspiration from the ubiquitous arches in Indian architecture, her collection comprises five sculptural furniture and lighting pieces, each capturing a delicate but striking balance of graphical elements and architectural perspective. Chudikova chose a symbolic colour gradient for each piece, evoking a deeper connection to cultural, spiritual and natural elements.

@kickie.chudikova, @klove.studio

Luca Gruber x Vikram Goyal

Since graduating with an advanced masters degree in design for luxury and craftsmanship from ECAL, Luca Gruber has collaborated with the likes of Carl Auböck V, Lobmeyr, Ini Archibong and Bodo Sperlein. For Shakti, the German-born designer was placed with Vikram Goyal, whose work using extremely skilled metalwork and precious stone inlays translates India’s rich legacy of craft excellence into modern collectible designs that resonate globally.

Taking a cue from Goyal’s own approach, as well as the spiritual philosophy of the seven chakras, Gruber’s set of three tables are designed as a reflection of the body’s energetic flow. Fusing material and meaning, the set features seven tabletops, each corresponding to a chakra, with its semi-precious stone inlay chosen to embody the essence of each energy centre – grounding reds for muladhara, luminous violets for sahasrara, and so on. Undulating brass legs mimic the nadis, the vital energy channels that link the chakras.

@_lucagruber_, @vikramgoyalstudio

Helena Bajaj Larsen x Jaipur Rugs

Interdisciplinary textile designer Helena Bajaj Larsen is based between France, India and Dubai, and her practice spans art and interiors, with a strong focus on collaboration with craft communities across the global south. A graduate of New York’s Parsons School of Design and Milan’s SDA Bocconi School of Management, Larsen is of Indian and Norwegian heritage and is the only resident with prior experience of making in India.

For Shakti, she was paired with Jaipur Rugs, whose hand-knotting legacy allowed her to further explore the abstract hand-painted silk work that has become her personal signature. Her series of rugs, anchored in a continuation of her research relating to maps, veins and roots, were developed through hand drawing, initially building the linework that would eventually turn into the skeleton used for the CAD.

Extensive dye and embroidery tests and experimentation followed, before high-resolution images of Larsen’s silk works were fed into a computer to break down colours by pixel for material matching. The result is an amalgamation of the technical pixel-like nature of rug image building and the free-flowing nature of abstract imagery.

@helenablarsen, @jaipurrugs

Aya Kawabata x Chanakya School of Craft

Japanese designer Aya Kawabata specialises in textiles and graphic works that reimagine traditional patterns, amulets and cultural stories. Having spent time living in New York and Europe, her creative philosophy is informed by an involvement in Japanese culture that is influenced by layered global experiences.

For Shakti, she partnered with the Chanakya School of Craft, a non-profit foundation dedicated to craft, culture and creating new autonomy for women. It teaches more than 300 hand embroidery techniques through a holistic curriculum. The collaboration between Chanakya and Kawabata reimagines Indian cultural symbolism in an embroidered wall hanging that draws from the designer’s heritage and expansive horizons. Her piece channels the energy of the sunrise, evoking purification, creativity and boundless possibility.

@aya_kawabata_design, @chanakya.school

The name Shakti comes from a Sanskrit word meaning strength, energy or power. The exhibition in Milan will certainly prove to be a highlight, but the real legacy of the design residency lies in the strength of the new connections made, the energy of the perspectives shifted, and the power of the knowledge exchanged. For those who experienced it firsthand, it is clear that something bigger than a residency has been set in motion.

The residents’ projects are on show from 7-13 April 2025 at Alcova, Milan, alcova.xyz, @shakti.residency

‘New Craftsmanship: A New World’ is the theme that 700 participants from 20 design schools and universities will be responding to at SaloneSatellite during Milan Design Week 2025. Now in its 26th edition, the exhibition, developed by Marva Griffin Wilshire, continues to provide a platform for emerging professional designers. ‘SaloneSatellite’s mission is to help young designers at the start of their careers and connect them with industry insiders who visit the show,’ she explains. Over the years, the platform has nurtured notable talents such as Nendo, Sebastian Herkner, Ini Archibong, David Pompa and Cristina Celestino. This year SaloneSatellite alumni – designers Rodolfo Agrella and Lani Adeoye – will be curating sections of the exhibition.

Rodolfo Agrella, who first participated in 2011 after studying architecture at Politecnico di Milano, has developed an exhibit that combines Latin American ancestral textile crafts with contemporary design. ‘The show is shaped around the word trama, which in Spanish means both the pattern in fabric and a storyline,’ Agrella explains. ‘Each piece tells a story. We have traditional embroidery from Bolivia, objects made from traditional Mexican belts transformed into pouches, and pieces from Peru and Colombia.’ Agrella has also collaborated with the Milanese boutique Legado, which supports indigenous artisans in Latin America.

SaloneSatellite 2022 Prize Winner Lani Adeoye curates ‘Craft West Africa’, which features five projects from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal. These works highlight the natural sustainability of indigenous crafts and their connection to circularity, a value she believes was integral to past societies. ‘Wisdom from the past is really important to me,’ Adeoye says. ‘We should draw from it as we move forward.’ The showcase includes products made using lost-wax casting techniques, hand-engraving and carving, plus mat weaving by female weavers in Ekiti, Nigeria. ‘There is something healing about witnessing or using crafts that is deeply connected to wellness,’ she says. ‘When I observed the female Ekiti weaving community, I saw a meditative process that kept them engaged for long periods, fostering presence, awareness, and calm energy.’

The focus on craftsmanship at this year's SaloneSatellite is not a new concept for Salone del Mobile, but rather a return to a theme previously explored in 2013 and 2014. This edition will be further enriched with craft's workshops. As the exhibition boasts a rich archive of products designed by past participants, the organisers created Artwood Academy as a permanent venue to showcase these works. Griffin Wilshire says, ‘This collection has travelled to Hong Kong and will be displayed in Osaka during the Expo. It reflects the impact of SaloneSatellite and the remarkable achievements of these emerging designers.’

SaloneSatellite in on view during Milan Design Week from 8 – 13 April 2025.

Read about more of the fair's must-sees in our Milan Design Week 2025 guide

‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful’, advised the influential British designer William Morris (1834-1896), known not only for his signature floral and botanical prints but also for his socialist principles and belief in a responsible approach to beauty, purpose, craftsmanship and production. So what would he make of his now infinitely reproduced patterns plastered across everything from shower curtains to phone cases, dentist waiting rooms to shopping centres? It makes for a complicated, but extraordinary, legacy – one that's explored in glorious blooming detail by a new exhibition, ‘Morris Mania: How Britain’s greatest designer went viral’, at William Morris Gallery in London (5 April-21 September 2025).

‘Morris Mania’ at William Morris Gallery, London

Marking 75 years of the gallery – located in Morris’ Grade II*-listed former home and displaying the world's largest collection of his work – the show celebrates his output while also taking a chance to unravel the changing dynamic of design in the modern world. Removed from their original context – tied to Morris’ beliefs in responsibility towards nature and creative working conditions – many of his designs are now mass-produced or computer-generated copies to accommodate capitalist consumption; resulting goods may also be contributing to the environmental crisis.

‘Morris Mania’ carefully tightropes between championing the creativity of the designer, and considering his impact in the context of an increasingly commodified world.

It also explores how skilled craftsmanship and pride in making something well are still at the forefront for many contemporary creatives – and for those that purchase their work. A section of the exhibition examines some of the instances where Morris’ work continues to be produced by skilled artisans.

Objects on display in ‘Morris Mania’ include those from the gallery as well as private collections, such as ‘Willow’ pattern Nike trainers, a ‘Rose’ patterned seat from the 1980s British Nuclear Submarine Fleet, and Loewe fashion inspired by Morris’ designs.

There are also Morris-patterned objects donated by the public. Adding a personal touch, visitors are encouraged to continue to lend and donate their own Morris-print objects throughout the course of the exhibition. Donations so far include chopsticks, a waving cat from Japan, hand-embroidered wedding jackets, Wellington boots and an array of mugs and biscuit tins.

As well as browsing the array of prints, wallpapers and objects, visitors can also enjoy a series of talks and events happening within the gallery.

'Morris Mania', 5 April-21 September 2025, William Morris Gallery, London, wmgallery.org.uk

Collect, the Crafts Council’s annual selling fair, takes up residence in London’s Somerset House next week from 28th February until 2nd March. This will be the 21st edition of Collect, and 40 international galleries dedicated to craft and design will present the work of 400-plus living practitioners from more than 30 countries. We’ll feature our highlights when the doors open next week but ahead of all that fun, we sat down with Natalie Melton, executive director of the Crafts Council, to hear about the changing landscape of the sector.

Wallpaper*: For all that the term craft is ubiquitous these days, it still carries a certain association would you agree?

Natalie Melton: People understand the word and subject of craft differently. While an increasing number appreciate its cultural significance many people feel disconnected from it. Some feel distanced from craft as a showcase of niche techniques and skills. Some view it as a derogatory term for something home-made or homespun. We believe craft’s power lies in its democratic sense of place, culture, wonder, and joy—all elements that are crucial in today's world.

W*: Is the role of the Crafts Council to help people understand this?

NM: We seek to help people move past the idea that there is a clear divide between professional and amateur practice. Craftsmanship is a knowledge-based practice, driven by excitement and a sense of achievement - individuals choose how far to push their skills. This shared spirit and effort unite everyone engaged in craft. I have been in my role as executive director since July 2022. One of the main subjects I focus on is the market for craft, which has grown significantly in recent times.

W*: Tell us more…

NM: What we find interesting is there’s growing interest in the mid-market range; it’s not just the luxury sector. We recently completed a survey of the maker community, which highlighted the growth of portfolio makers and the trend of building craft businesses alongside other professions, reflecting the increasing interest and appetite for craft.

W*: Why do you think this is?

NM: With the rise of craft-related TV shows, YouTube videos, and fairs, many are inspired to try making themselves. There’s growing curiosity about where things come from and how things are made; it’s an antidote of sorts to the negative consequences of globalised production and mass-commercialisation. For some people, craft starts as a captivating hobby then maybe it becomes a side hustle and, if it’s successful, eventually it can become a source of income. More interest in craft naturally leads to a larger market response. It’s also interesting to note that craft is more visible and prevalent in museums and galleries than it was perhaps even a decade ago. For us, the challenge is adapting to this democratization of craft.

W*: Greater, broader interest doesn’t necessarily equate to more money?

NM: At the Crafts Council, we operate across a broad spectrum. We are a charity, and like so many organisations in the creative sector at the moment, we are facing a constrained funding environment. We're constantly striving to adapt, do more with less, and maintain agility. We take great pride in our achievements, such as making our collection, which is the nation's collection, more accessible. We are careful and restless to tell stories with the collection that reach new, younger audiences effectively. And also to grow the collection to be genuinely representative of the many voices, skills and experiences that make up our society.

W*: You recently announced the closure of Crafts magazine; it’s sad to see such a beautiful title depart after 50 years. It must have been a difficult decision.

NM: I share your sadness. Crafts brought so many unique stories to the fore however our resources are not sufficient to allow us to continue investing in this method of storytelling. Of course it's a tough and emotional decision, but we need to be pragmatic too. Younger generations consume media in such a different way. Listening to our audience from our recent community survey - there was a strong sense that people are seeking excellent quality learning tools to support them on their journey as makers. People want resources and information. We will always provide space for critical thinking through events and conversations, in person and online, still. Stimulating discussion in craft is very important to us, but stimulating the future of the industry with practical knowledge and advice is also critical to growing the sector.

W*: Where does Collect fit into your strategy at the Crafts Council?

NM: Collect is the most visible thing we do. We are unique as a charity, running a commercial art fair. It’s a huge undertaking each year, but it’s a vital showcase for galleries and their makers. We’ve had galleries represented in every fair for the 21 years of Collect’s life; and we have galleries showing for the first time. We love the balance of longstanding and established names alongside younger voices; this is what keeps it fresh. The majority of work on show and for sale at Collect is new to the market, which brings such energy to the event. It is a joyful, vibrant celebration - people come together from all over the world, untied by passion and intrigue in craft.

W*: You mentioned earlier the expansion of the middle market for craft - is the collectible market healthy too?

NM: Yes it is. It’s not impervious to the economic situation; there are few people who haven’t felt the pressure of the economy. Makers have suffered from the rising cost of materials and energy princes, which means they’re operating on tighter margins. Last year, Collect was an excellent success and we are delighted to see a lot of returning galleries. Museums and institutions acquired from the show, which is wonderful to see. In difficult times, collectors, whether private or for institutions, recognise that they have an important role in supporting the market as much as they can.

W*: Beyond Collect, what’s in your in-tray for the rest of the year at the Crafts Council?

NM: We are focusing on our membership offer, which means working hard to support makers in their routes to practice and market. I’d like to make sure that craft and industry gets more recognition, to promote the ways in which it is possible to scale craft, forging better connections between making and manufacturing. I think we’re at a place in time where it’s indisputable that craft has enormous value socially, culturally, economically. Where we need to see a shift is ensuring there’s the right kind of support to enable people to make a good living through craft. Our mission is to address this and encourage others to stimulate and support the sector.

Collect runs from 27th February to 2nd March at Somerset House.

Collectfair.org.uk; Craftscouncil.org.uk

Pennyroyal Tea, a Chennai home situated on the Tamil Nadu coastline of India’s Bay of Bengal, is a richly crafted gem and a tapestry of textural design. The interior project was led by Bengaluru-based design firm Multitude of Sins, which worked closely with the client – a creative family of four. The renovated home is an unapologetic exploration of design as an art form – with special attention focused on each room’s hidden nooks and crannies – to inject an element of discovery into daily life. Principal designer Smita Thomas tells us more about the home’s contemporary Indian design that is a love letter to traditional craft.

Inside Pennyroyal Tea, a Chennai home designed ‘to evoke a sense of wonder’

‘In Pennyroyal Tea, achieving a balance between cohesion and independence was a strategic process,’ explains Thomas. ‘We started by anchoring each room in a shared design language, using consistent colour tones, materials, and even techniques that reflect the local culture. This foundation allowed each space to maintain its own identity while still feeling connected to the whole.

‘Each room was designed to serve a specific purpose and mood, with unique elements that spark curiosity and invite engagement. The use of local craftsmanship in different ways throughout the house not only highlights the country’s artistry as a whole, but also ensures that each area feels distinct. Ultimately, it’s about celebrating diversity within a unified vision, making the experience both relatable and enriching.’

This vision is consistent from the moment you enter the 12,000 sq ft home. Details such as flower motifs are carved into a wooden door set in a grey and green marble frame. The foyer is wrapped in a modern-Indian printed mural, illuminated by a hanging custom chandelier, a cascade of wooden beads on metal rings. Made in a combination of rattan, wood and metal, it appears as some kind of botanical creation, highlighting the undercurrent of a storybook garden theme throughout the home.

Embracing raw materials is a key factor within Multitude of Sins’ work, as Thomas explains. ’Every piece is created with intention (be it art, furniture, light), often designed by us and brought to life with skilled artisans, reflecting a fierce commitment to originality. We embrace raw materials and innovative techniques to evoke a sense of wonder, ensuring that each project not only serves its purpose but also inspires a deeper connection to the environment and community.’

The sense of intrigue continues in the living and dining room, which is grounded by two tables. The first is inspired by the moon and its phases, and is surrounded by distressed wood armchairs and a floral appliqué couch, while the second features abstract leaf forms. Details in the library space include a tall, classical light sculpture, while in the lounge, an L-shaped lounger carved out of marble takes centre stage, draped with a custom canopy that is garnished with glass, brass and steel birds, and blossoming flowers. At the heart of the dining room lies an eight-seater dining table featuring dual-toned wood and resting on curved trapezium legs.

‘When it comes to selecting furniture for the project, we made a deliberate choice to walk a different path: one that didn’t rely on ready-made brands,’ Thomas tells us. ‘This home is a true reflection of the client’s vision, and that vision called for something special: a space rich in detail and vibrant in colour, celebrating Indian craftsmanship in a way that feels fresh and global. We collaborated with artisans across the country to craft pieces that were not only functional but also meaningful.’

The home's exquisitely crafted spaces span from an artist studio to a dedicated yoga area; when asked, Thomas couldn’t pick a favourite part of the project, telling Wallpaper*, ‘Honestly, it feels sacrilegious to pick a favourite room or piece in this project. This place isn't just a collection of items, it’s a labour of love that tells a deeper story. When people step into this space, we want them to feel completely overwhelmed – in the best way possible. We want them to leave with a sense of awe for the entire experience, where no piece or room stands alone. The truth is, this home is a culmination of countless hours and dedication from so many skilled hands. It’s pure, it’s real, and it embodies the spirit of collaboration. When you walk through, it’s not just about seeing design, it’s about feeling the journey – every choice made with intention, every element a reflection of its makers.’

Thomas adds, ’Design is all about exploration, so embrace the process, take risks, and let your space reflect who you are. Remember, it’s your playground, make it fun and full of life.’

multitudeofsins.in

As Frieze, Decorex and PAD descended on London this week with all their majesty and merriment, over in Chiswick a significant new award was handed out celebrating the revival of straw embroidery. Hanny Newton is the recipient of the inaugural QEST Sanderson Rising Star Craft award, receiving a mighty cash prize of £25,000 to help shore up her knowledge and skill, and develop it into a business.

Newton’s work is undeniably exquisite. We might be familiar with the technique of straw embroidery from museum collections, yet seen anew it feels remarkable for its modernity and one wonders why time has not been favourable to such a distinct form of work. Such is the importance and value of this new award. It is less about resurrection or preservation and more about catapulting something with relevance and potential to scale into the market; seeding cultural investment in the truest sense.

Speaking of her award, Newton said: 'I am delighted and incredibly excited… Since being introduced to straw thread two years ago, I have been passionate and driven to champion straw embroidery as an exquisite, sustainable “natural gold”. The honour and significant boost of this award at this formative time in my career allows me to dream big as I innovate with historical craft techniques. This really is a dream come true!

‘It will allow me to study rare collections and make important contributions to the scarce knowledge and tools of straw embroidery so they can be carried forward for future generations. I will then build on this period of study by using it as a foundation for pushing my art practice, creating new works for exhibition that innovate with sustainable materials,' she continued. 'It is my hope that these new works will stimulate and inform debate around the sustainability and value of materials.'

Newton was chosen from a shortlist of six craftspeople, whittled down from 189 nominations by a panel of judges including the interior designer Benedict Foley, Debika Ray and Emily Tobin, the editors of Crafts and World of Interiors respectively, QEST CEO Deborah Pocock, and Sanderson Design Group CEO Lisa Montague. As the finalists gathered with a crowd of design luminaries at Voysey House (Sanderson’s HQ) to await the announcement, we sat down with Pocock and Montague to hear more about how the award came to be and what they hope it will enable.

Behind the judging scenes of the QEST Sanderson rising star award

Wallpaper*: Why did you bring the award into existence?

Lisa Montague: Our motto at Sanderson is ‘Live Beautiful’ and we’re always asking ourselves how we can bring this to life meaningfully, not just in the work that we do as a brand and business, but in the community too. What can we do that’s different and how can we make genuine impact?

Deborah Pocock: QEST stands for the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, and we are an educational trust with the mission to support and sustain craft and craftspeople. Next year we will celebrate our 35th anniversary – we’re not quite as old as Sanderson, which was founded in 1860, but it’s still a milestone birthday. Together, we wanted to establish an award that would be transformational for a young person of significant skill and vision.

LM: It felt important that it should be a prize sum that would be career-changing for someone early in their practice, where the money would have very real impact to enable the recipient both to focus and develop their work.

DP: One of the critical judging criteria as a result was clear demonstration by the individual as to how they would use the money to transform their practice. Viability for growth and development were important factors.

W*: It is refreshing to see a substantial prize, investing in this stage of someone’s career. It feels important as a counter to the rather unfair stigma which craft tends to suffer from: that it’s largely concerned with saving and rescuing dying skills.

DP: We are all concerned with ways to help people understand that craft lives and evolves constantly. It has always been innovative, and it’s important that we tell stories so people understand the depth of value of craft in contemporary life.

LM: We are proud of how central craft is to our history and heritage at Sanderson, but nobody wants to live in the 19th century. Craft has to be commercially viable to endure.

W*: What has surprised you about the award?

DP: This is the first award, and we were overwhelmed by the volume of entrants we received, and also by the prestige of the people who nominated.

LM: The overall quality was incredible, and the sheer breadth of work was extraordinary. We made the decision early on to do the prize every two years so that it becomes meaningful. It’s a lengthy and intense process and it feels responsible to make it a bigger sum and award it every two years.

W*: What stood out for you in Hanny Newton?

DP: Hanny is reintroducing a historic, extremely rare and beautiful craft with a compelling sustainability angle. The rigour of her research in just two years was so impressive, and we felt that she is at an important stage in her journey where the award would help open up avenues and applications in the development of her product.

LM: We also admired her acknowledgment that education matters. She has a drive to pass on her knowledge, and give back to the community. We feel she will have impact on her field, alongside her obvious skill, vision and the commercial viability of her craft.

W*: It feels as though we are experiencing a greater appreciation more broadly of craft and its place in life. Are you optimistic for the craft sector generally?

DP: I am hugely optimistic. In my role I see so much talent, but what I find incredible is that craft’s contribution to the UK economy is £3.4 billion annually. It is a significant economic driver, and far more than a hobby.

LM: I think the more our lives are governed by automation and globalised commodification, the more we are seeing people respond favourably to craft and understanding its value. We hope to engage and inspire the next generation, and to show what craft can do in the realm of manufacturing. I believe that true luxury is about time – allowing time to let something become what it can become; what it might become. We hope this prize gives Hanny time and breathing space for just that.

hannynewton.co.uk
qest.org.uk
sanderson.sandersondesigngroup.com

Loewe and Lladró are two brands with a lot in common. They’re both Spanish, they’re both born out of an obsessive desire to master a particular material (Loewe with leather and Lladró with porcelain), and they’re both exemplars of luxury design.

So it seems fitting, then, that the two maisons have finally come together for an exceptional collaboration: a limited-edition run of porcelain flask toppers for three of Loewe Perfumes’ classic scents.

Inside the making of Loewe Perfumes’ porcelain bottle toppers, delicately crafted by Lladró

Each fragrance – ‘Loewe 001’, ‘Loewe Earth’ and ‘Loewe Agua Drop’ – has been selected to represent three different olfactory universes inside the Botanical Rainbow, the name given to the entire collection of 24 nature-inspired fragrances by in-house nose Núria Cruelles (they are recognisable for their multicoloured, block-shaped glass bottles, designed by Loewe’s creative director Jonathan Anderson).

The Lladró flask toppers are delicately shaped like carnations, Spain’s national flower, reflecting the botanical codes of Loewe Perfumes. ‘Synaesthesia is a key aspect of how I perceive the world around me, and when I see the Lladró flowers, I can imagine smells and olfactory notes in my mind,’ says Cruelles. ‘It’s a multisensory connection.’

‘001’ was the first fragrance made under Anderson’s tenure. A light blend of jasmine, linen and musk, the scent is simultaneously fresh and warm. ‘The name indicates a new start for the brand,’ said Anderson upon its release in 2016. In the Lladró collaboration, its clean, translucent flask is joined by the magenta-pink and pale blue bottles containing the ‘Earth’ and ‘Agua Drop’ fragrances.

For the former, Cruelles combined notes from above and below the ground, including mimosa, violet, pear and truffle. ‘I was inspired by the fungi kingdom,’ she said in 2022. ‘[Truffle] gives the new perfume its own personality. Its aroma makes you deep dive into nature and drives you to the purest concept of earth.’ The latter (one of the Botanical Rainbow collection’s latest additions) is a citrussy floral, where bergamot and orange flower absolute are underscored by the woodiness of the brand’s unique Loewe Accord.

With the Loewe flask tops, Lladró shows off its remarkable talent for rendering porcelain into lifelike forms. Each carnation’s serrated petal, no matter how small, has been meticulously handcrafted and individually painted inside the brand’s Valencia workshop, which can trace its history (and its production methods) back to 1953, the year the company was founded by Juan, José and Vicente Lladró. The three brothers were artists, graduates of the Valencia School of Arts and Crafts, and were keen to bring a modern Spanish perspective to the two century-old techniques pioneered by the German, French and Italian porcelain houses Meissen, Sèvres and Capodimonte.

The Spanish siblings broke away from the familiarity of ornate, rococo designs and pioneered a new aesthetic, characterised by elongated lines and a pastel colour palette. The milky appearance of Lladró porcelain is thanks to a secret paste recipe, which is still closely guarded by the family to this day.

Loewe, likewise, came from humble beginnings before rising to fame. Starting life in 1846 as a collective of leathermakers, the Madrid-based workshop was known for its small leather goods, such as wallets, purses, and cigarette and jewellery cases. In 1872, a German expat named Enrique Loewe Roessberg joined forces with the workshop, capitalising on its technical precision and imaginative vision to open a store. (A mere 20 years later, the brand would become an official supplier to the Spanish monarchy).

When Anderson joined Loewe as creative director in 2013, he spearheaded a major rejuvenation of the house. Just ten years on, Loewe is one of the most revered fashion brands in the world; one that is also steadfast in a commitment to the past, present and future of craft. ‘Craft is the essence of Loewe,’ Anderson has said. ‘It is where our modernity lies and it will always be relevant.’

Proof of this, if it were needed, is seen in emerging talent initiatives such as the annual Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, which just celebrated its seventh edition. (Mexican artist Andrés Anza was named the 2024 winner, receiving a €50,000 prize for his life-size sculpture I only know what I have seen). Loewe also frequently teams up with established contemporary artists. Past projects span from costumes made for Turner Prize nominee Anthea Hamilton’s performance piece The Squash (2018) to jewellery designed with American sculptor Lynda Benglis, whose bronze works adorned the S/S24 womenswear show space.

What Loewe Perfumes has made with Lladró is in keeping with this collaborative spirit, here merging innate references to nature with historic craft. ‘Loewe has such a strong, ongoing dedication to excellence in craft and a deep respect for its Spanish roots,’ Cruelles reiterates, adding that just 600 Lladró flasks for each fragrance will ever be made.

‘This collaboration with an institution such as Lladró perfectly reflects these values. Jonathan Anderson draws from nature for Loewe Perfumes, and Lladró has brought this to life in porcelain.’ 

perfumesloewe.com

A version of this article appears in the October 2024 Guest Editors’ Issue of Wallpaper* available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

Albert Escribano, co-founder of shoe and accessory brand Hereu, inspects a row of shelves filled with dusty leather loafers, T-bar sandals and canvas boots. Each is a footnote to a decade of designing and making in Spain. ‘Ten years? That feels a little bit unreal because Hereu started as a personal project,’ he says. ‘We wanted to bring the passion we have for craftmanship together with our own taste to make our thing.’

The ‘we’ Escribano refers to is himself and José Luis Bartolomé. When the idea for Hereu (which translates to ‘heir‘ in Catalan) came to them in 2014, Bartolomé was living in Paris and Escribano in London. The pair – who used to be a couple in life before business – didn’t have any plans for their first collection beyond seeing it as a way of holding onto their roots. Travelling to Spain also became a reason for them to see each other more.

Ten years of Hereu

Today, based out of Barcelona, they find themselves helming a global brand loved for its chic sandals, boots, loafers and growing range of accessories. Their pieces are thoughtfully made in five different factories across Spain without the usual heritage fanfare. To make a pair of Hereu loafers requires between 25-30 stages.

They are hand-sewn using the traditional moccasin construction at a factory that has been in operation since the early 1980s. Inside, piles of butter-yellow shoe lasts wait to have the finest calf leather stretched onto them, bright blue machines are powered up and caked in glue, polish, grease. A team of some 15 staff move deftly around the space wearing International Klein Blue collarless jackets. The supple rock of Hotel California blares from a trio of speakers attached to the walls, their sound muffled by a giant extractor fan.

The production takes its own time and is often full of mess and brute force; a lattice work suede upper is pulled together using pliers before it is glued and gently tapped with a hammer. Soles are bashed onto lasts pin by pin. Men are bent over a workstation, hand-stitching uppers to their soles working in a manner that tries to replicate a machine. They sit at metal benches on wooden dining chairs topped with cushions in faded red and orange, piercing through leather with nylon thread.

Escribano says, ‘Those techniques are foundational; they give the shoes their quality. Craft is something made in the best way it can be. There are no shortcuts. We couldn’t add or take another step out of the process because then you are sacrificing something, maybe durability, maybe comfort. There are many little details that may not seem that important, but they need to be there. That’s what makes the difference.’

The sobriquet of ‘slow fashion’ is now readily applied to almost anything that favours a minimalist design. Even though its pieces are made in traditional, time-honoured ways, Hereu adheres to the usual seasonal demands. It’s not a slow fashion brand.

‘We are also trying to stay away from labels like “craft” or “sustainable” – these things come with the way we work, but it’s not about ticking boxes or a trend. Oftentimes talking about those values loudly can detract from the design, the look of the thing,’ he says. The design process runs to the rhythm of what is possible.

The day-to-day running of the business is a balancing act between speaking to the values of the artisanal and keeping a finger on the pulse of what looks right for today. ‘Sometimes we might think, oh, is this a bit boring? And that’s when we have a good time trying to work it out. Hereu is super easy to understand. Everything looks familiar but is new enough to be interesting.’ You see it, and you see what it's about.

hereustudio.com

‘We wanted to create this feeling of water,’ says COS design director Karin Gustafsson of a new collection featuring the over-millennia-old Japanese tie-dye technique, shibori. Meaning to ‘to wring, squeeze or press’, the intricate process is achieved by manipulating the fabric into complex folds, which are then dyed before being unfurled to reveal the constellations of patterns left behind, which might conjure flowers and animals, or dripping stripes reminiscent of running water.

The journey would take her and her team to the ancient city of Kyoto, Japan’s historic capital which was first settled in the 7th century and flourished due to its plentiful supply of water, from lush mountain lakes and bountiful rivers – the Kamo-gawa in the east and the Katsura-gawa to the west – to its large natural water table, accessed through the thousands of wells across the city. Water also helped establish Kyoto’s synonymy with ritual and craft, allowing for the production of saké and tofu, fabric dyeing, ikebana and tea ceremonies, even the creation of kimonos.

COS x Tabata Shibori: the story behind the collection

’Wherever you go in the city, all the street names and the neighbourhoods, they are always associated with water,’ says shibori artisan Kazuki Tabata, whose eponymous Kyoto-based studio Tabata Shibori collaborated with COS on the limited-edition collection. ‘Everything is water.’

We talk in a suite on the upper floor of Kyoto’s Six Senses hotel, a recent opening in the city’s historic Higashiyama district, and a stone’s throw from the Toyokuni Shrine, constructed in the 16th century in memory of shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi. It is a setting which proves an apt backdrop for the project: the hotel was inspired by Kyoto’s Heian era, a period rich with flourishing craft, best encapsulated by the 504 raku tiles that depict nearby Mount Kurama over the hotel’s reception desk, created by ceramic artisan Yoshimura Rakunyu in a process which took over two years.

‘Craft has always been important to COS, because we’ve always set out to create fashion and design that lasts beyond the season,’ says Gustafsson, who was connected to Tabata through local connections after being inspired by the art of shibori when creating the brand’s S/S 2024 collection. ‘It didn’t feel right for us to try and mimic shibori [ourselves], it was important for us to go to a true craftsperson, to recognise that there’s so much more behind it.’

Tabata, who was approached to undertake the project on Instagram, initially believed that he was being pranked, having never previously worked on a project of this scale. When he realised the approach was genuine, he agreed, and granted Gustafsson and her team access to his wealth of shibori designs – some of which, including one that features on a scarf in the collection, take him up to three weeks just to create the hundreds of meticulous origami-like folds in the fabric before it is dipped in dye (the latter process taking just a few moments; afterwards, the fabric is rinsed and washed, before finally being unfurled to reveal the resist-dyed pattern).

’I saw that the craftsman was going away in Japan,’ says Tabata, who was studying lighting and music at Osaka School of Sound Arts at the Visual Arts College, when his uncle, a shibori artisan, died. ‘I thought: if no one is doing shibori then it will go away too. So I took it up. I really wanted to keep the tradition going.’ After thousands of hours perfecting the craft, he discovered Kyoto’s kyo shikanoko shibori, a complex version of the technique that creates a pattern recalling the spots on fawns and requires days to create the tight rows and folds needed to achieve its unique design. It has since become his speciality.

In the collection itself, which spans menswear, womenswear and accessories, a handful of his unique designs are transposed as prints across the airy garments, which capture a mood of fluidity and lightness befitting the summertime release. ‘Mr Tabata’s work really informed the collection’s design,’ says Gustafsson. ‘We wanted to continue that idea of fluidity in the artwork, so we translated his designs across different fabrics and through different techniques.’ These include a version of the design woven into the fabric of a men’s jacket and shorts like traditional Indonesian ikat, while on other pieces – like a breezy kaftan dress – Tabata’s work seems to hover across its surface.

And, despite Tabata’s years spent mastering certain shibori techniques, Gustafsson says the unpredictable digressions of the dye encapsulate the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi – the acceptance of imperfections and flaws, and a belief in the ephemeral nature of beauty. ‘I think the beauty of imperfection is important,’ says Gustafsson. ’I think materials in life change with wear, which is something you should embrace rather than see as something negative. It’s amazing to see a garment that has gone through life; that has been enhanced by mending.’

As for how it feels to be in Kyoto as the year-long project readies to hit stores – backdropped by a programme that included a traditional tea ceremony; a ‘dinner party’ at Jugyuan, a restaurant housed in a 110-year-old sukiya building; and a workshop at Kyoto University of the Arts, where Tabata teaches – Gustafsson says she hopes the collection will encourage people to seek out and learn about shibori and traditional art forms like it. ‘We can’t take this type of craft for granted anymore.’

COS x Tabata Shibori is released today (5 June 2024). It is available from the COS website and selected COS stores worldwide.

cos.com

Welsh-founded company Toast has a decades-long heritage of promoting timeless design, textiles and quality over trend, as well as supporting the local and global crafts-based community. Founded in 1997 by Jessica and Jamie Seaton, a duo who had moved to Wales in the late 1970s as graduate archaeologists, its network of makers and craftspeople, based throughout the UK and beyond, has long been integral to the Toast brand (the company also supports Crafts Council UK with a share of profits from its annual craft-based activities).

Toast New Makers: meet the 2023 cohort

Now headed up by CEO Suzie de Rohan Willner (who has previously held senior positions at Levi Strauss & Co and Timberland, amongst other notable companies), Toast is finding ways to expand its expertise with handcrafted design. Its New Makers initiative enters its fifth year, announcing designers Hiroko Aono-Billson, Estelle Bourdet, Ewan Craig, Poppy Fuller Abbott, and Jynsym Ong as its 2023 collective. The five independent, under-the-radar designers work across multiple disciplines, but are connected by their use of sustainable materials (an intentional criteria set by Toast) and appreciation of texture and colour. 

‘The New Makers programme is part of our wider approach of supporting craftsmanship by promoting the use of traditional techniques in contemporary design, focused particularly on makers who are new to their discipline or less established,' explains de Rohan Willner. Each will receive mentorship on production, design, business strategy, and their pieces will be retailed on Toast’s website and in store, with full profits going solely to the makers. 

The effects are lasting: ‘The handmade brooms and brushes of Wales-based maker Rosa Harradine, who was part of the 2022 cohort, continue to be stocked at Toast, as well as the kitchen utensils by woodworker Ambrose Vevers, who took part in 2020. Other former alumni, such as ceramicists Viv Lee and Ali Hewson, as well as woodworking couple Takahashi McGil, have since seen their work displayed in galleries globally,’ says de Rohan Willner. Additionally, each year one New Maker is taken on to become part of the Toast home collection, overseen by Judith Harris, head of House & Home.  

Norwich-based Hiroko Aono-Billson’s ceramics are inspired by the Japanese movement of Mingei, or ‘folk art’ and made by scratching slip glaze off earthenware terracotta clay to create patterns. Swiss textile designer Estelle Bourdet uses hand-dyed yarns, repurposed fabrics and unorthodox materials such as climbing rope to create woven wall hangings, rugs and accessories. A graduate of historical carving, woodworker Ewan Craig hand-carves spoons and bowls from green wood sourced in Hertfordshire, bringing a sense of ritual and gravitas to everyday items. Brighton-based weaver Poppy Fuller Abbott uses plants grown on her mother’s allotment to create dyes for the fibres she weaves into wall hangings. Jynsym Ong attended a ceramics apprenticeship in Japan and now makes her functional teapots and vases in her Oxford pottery studio. 

Items from the New Makers Collection are on display to see and purchase at Toast’s shops in Bath, Edinburgh, Mayfair and Islington stores, as well as online, from March 2023. 

https://www.toa.st/

A twisting mass of woven bamboo winds its way around the interior of the newly revamped Casa Loewe Barcelona, stretching across the ceiling and down a series of pillars. Yūgo (or Fusion), as the ethereal installation is called, is the handiwork of Japanese bamboo artist Tanabe Chikuunsai IV, who has taken the family tradition and run wild with it. 

Chikuunsai IV has used 6,000 strips of tiger bamboo (torachiku) – a treasured variety with a decorative stripe that only grows in one valley in Kōchi Prefecture on the Japanese island of Shikoku and is becoming rarer by the day. 

‘Climate changes are casting a shadow over these tiger bamboo groves,’ says the artist, who is known for creating vast installations for art institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Odunpazari Modern Museum in Turkey, and the Guimet Museum in France. ‘The soil there has been affected by environmental pollution and global warming, showing detrimental results in the beautiful outer layer of tiger bamboo.’ Once some 100 families tended the bamboo grove, but now only three people are left – a decline in the trade that Chikuunsai IV wants to reverse while raising awareness of nature’s fragility. ‘My hope is to preserve such beauty for future generations,’ he adds. If it isn’t trimmed, the bamboo doesn't develop its distinct stripe, it only grows green.’

Normally Chikuunsai IV would visit a site to learn about its history and soak up its atmosphere before working on a design, but Covid-19 restrictions meant he had to work on the fly when he arrived in Barcelona. His diaphanous installation for Casa Loewe Barcelona is a fusion of natural forces and the fluid forms of Loewe’s bags and clothing. Like with all his installations, he made it without using glue, relying instead on bamboo’s high tensile strength to support the structure. The strips can be dismantled and reused at a later date.

Yūgo is joined in Casa Loewe Barcelona – one of the brand’s gallery-like stores bringing together craft, art, design and fashion – by other feats of artisanship, including a large macramé sculpture by Catalan artist Aurelia Muñoz, which plunges from a ceiling on the lower floor, and an amorphous Dangling Hairy Hug by South Korean artist Haegue Yang beside the entrance. Among other design hits inside the building, built by Catalan modernist architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, are chairs by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld and tables by Axel Vervoordt, offset by 16th-century furniture and a staircase with railings inspired by the Arts & Crafts designs of William Morris. Works by Loewe Foundation Craft Prize finalists abound, including Japanese ceramic artists Sakiyama Takayuki and Tomonari Hashimoto.

Like many of the makers that the foundation and the Loewe brand support, Chikuunsai IV is expanding the possibilities of his medium. Bamboo craft stretches back at least 1,000 years in Japan, and his great-grandfather, Chikuunsai I, was the first of the family to take up the art of weaving it 120 years ago. Each generation has pushed the medium in new directions. Chikuunsai IV, who was born in 1973 and works in a studio in Sakai – a port city in the Osaka area – began learning basic weaving techniques even before he went to primary school, later studying sculpture at Tokyo University and apprenticing with his father. Like others in his family, he makes baskets and table-top sculptures, but he is the first to work on room-sized pieces.

‘Tanabe Chikuunsai IV is a one-of-a-kind artist in the Japanese bamboo art scene,’ says his gallerist Philippe Boudin. ‘He is continuing a tradition but imbuing it with an avant-garde approach and creating installations on a monumental scale.’ With his daughter Zoé Niang, he runs Paris’ Galerie Mingei, which helped facilitate the Casa Loewe Barcelona installation and is exhibiting smaller works in its space at 5 Rue Visconti (until 28 May 2022).

For the Japanese, bamboo is more than just a material – and a highly renewable one at that. It has strong cultural roots and inherent spiritualism, says Chikuunsai IV. ‘It gives the Loewe store a sacred quality,’ he adds – fitting for a newly reopened temple to craft and fashion.

INFORMATION

loewe.com

ADDRESS

Casa Loewe Barcelona
Paseo de Gràcia 35
08007 Barcelona

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Designer Rachel Scott’s approach to fashion is both personal and theoretical, historical and forward-looking. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Scott now lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her photographer husband. ‘I have been working in the fashion industry for 15 years, but this has always been a goal,' she says of Diotima, the line she launched from the studio that she set up in her home during the pandemic. 

Scott left Jamaica 20 years ago to study art and French philosophy at Colgate University in New York. The label takes its name from the ancient Greek priestess and philosopher Diotima of Mantinea. ‘The past few years I’ve continued studying philosophy recreationally,' says Scott breezily. ‘Diotima is fascinating because it’s never been clear if she was real or mythical,' she says, referencing Plato’s Ladder of Love. ‘When I’m designing, I try to approach it with the idea of working trans-historically – with history and the future.' Landing a place at Istituto Marangoni in Milan, she swerved to study fashion design, gaining a job at Costume National which she describes as ‘a wonderful experience, an excellent education.' She learnt the rigour of a major Italian fashion house. ‘There was such a reverence for craft,' she recalls. Today, she is vice president of design for Rachel Comey, where she has worked since 2015. 

The pandemic allowed for a moment of reflection on how the fashion world was operating. ‘Major orders were being cancelled and it impacted the factories and their people. Somehow the liability always ends up on the most vulnerable person, pushing the issues from the stores onto the designers, to the manufacturers, to the person doing the labor at the end of the chain. I wanted to change my relationship to labour.'

Diotima: ‘You can always spot Carribeans anywhere because we are so proud of it.'

During the pandemic she made two trips home to the Blue Mountains in Jamaica, and while there, sought out the expertise of two local crochet makers. ‘When the borders closed during the pandemic, they lost all their tourism trade. I thought, ‘What can I do?’ So I started talking to them over WhatsApp from New York about making some crochet pieces. The rest of Diotima's collection was made from very limited deadstock fabric in the US.' Now she works with 12 women in Kingston, including some younger women who are learning the trade. What is not made in Jamaica, Scott produces in New York. ‘I take a lot of inspiration from New York. Not just manufacturing in the garment district, which is very much alive, but also so much about relationships and collaborations, making new connections,' she says. 

Scott’s roots are inextricably woven into her designs. Powerful and seductive, dancehall culture is ingrained in her clothes. ‘The explosive dance and music means so much possibility for liberation,' she says. ‘Carlene Smith was super influential to me as a teenager,' she says of the Jamaican dance hall icon. ‘And the female musicians of this Caribbean postcolonial nation. It was such a fascinating time of gender dynamics. Carlene was not trying to operate in a man’s world as a man, but owning it as herself.'

There are some literal dancehall references in the collection, such as the lacebody suits, short ‘batty rider’ shorts, masculine Nineties-style oversized boxy jackets and shirts. A macrame t-shirt finished with Swarovski crystals, a marina string vest lined with bias cut silk, and a pleated skirt inspired by her prim Jesuit school uniform are elevated versions of the original incarnations. Biographical scenes of domesticity crop up – she’s ‘obsessed with chintzes'; there’s a starched doily top; and a skirt that borrows from a table runner and is unexpectedly slit high on the thigh. 

Scott explored the Caribbean tradition of Junkanoo carnival for her Pre-Spring ‘22 collection. ‘Historically, this would take place on Boxing Day, when slaves would be given the day off by their owners and the men would dress up as women, playing characters such as the plantation owner’s wife. I started deconstructing this moment, and playing with tropes of what a woman should be,' she says. ‘Reggae, ska and dancehall music was influenced by these early carnivals.'

The designer pays great attention to her fabrics. Diotima's luxurious Italian tweed suiting is treated with a pigment print to create an interesting texture. A neutral and earthy palette is punctuated with red, white and pink colours from the Junkanoo carnival. 

‘The BLM movement in the US has been so important in highlighting which voices get heard and which don’t. As a woman of colour, I used to feel that if there was someone working as a Black or Carribean designer, that there was no more room for another voice. But now I know that’s not the case,' she says. ‘I always knew I wanted to try and find a way to not contribute to the Caribbean's brain drain – the youth and energy that leaves to find work elsewhere,' she says of the industry she is building in Jamaica. ‘You can always spot Carribeans anywhere because we are so proud of it.'

INFORMATION

diotima.world

‘A Flame For Research’ is a powerful project initiated by Italian metalwork designer Daniele Mingardo, which invites ten renowned designers across the globe each to create a candleholder to raise funds to help combat cancer. Taking part are Federica Biasi, Michele De Lucchi, Jaime Hayon, Philippe Malouin, Alberto and Francesco Meda, Luca Nichetto, Panter & Tourron, Matteo Thun, Patricia Urquiola, and Marcel Wanders studio. 

During Milan Design Week 2021 in September, these bespoke objects will be showcased in an exhibition curated by design advisor Federica Sala, and will later be auctioned at a charity event organised in collaboration with Christie’s Italia. All proceeds will go to the Mario Negri Pharmacological Research Institute to help support the organisation with its cancer-fighting research.

‘A Flame for Research’: a personal quest for Daniele Mingardo

The project is deeply personal to Daniele Mingardo, who founded his eponymous design brand in Monselice, Padua, in 2013, having previously worked alongside his parents in their highly skilled local workshop. ‘In 2013, my mother left us because of pancreatic cancer. She used to work here at the workshop, alongside my father and me,’ he explains. 

He wanted to find a way for designers to contribute to the fight against cancer in a tangible way. The fundraiser was developed to fuel research and provide a symbol of hope. ‘The candleholder is an object with a strong ancestral symbolism linked to fire,’ says Mingardo. ‘At the same time, it conveys the idea of custody, care, and therefore love and attention for things and people.’ 

Candleholders as a symbol of hope

The candleholder’s flame is considered to bring light in places of darkness, and has connotations of positivity. Each of the ten designers was invited to create their own interpretation of these themes. The collection will be a medley of styles and ideas that are unified by a shared objective. 

‘It was important to have ten candleholders, because the number ten symbolises perfection,’ says Sala. ‘The collaboration with Christie’s Italia is fundamental for the project too, both for the institutional prestige of the well-known auction house, but above all to reach an audience of interested collectors to approach in support of the Mario Negri Institute.’  

Mingardo (a past contributor to Wallpaper* Handmade) has garnered international recognition for its precise, intricate, and high-quality design and craftsmanship. Through ‘A Flame For Research’, Daniele has shown a way that designers can also positively contribute to science, too. 

INFORMATION
‘A Flame for Research’ is at Offstage, Piazza Luigi Vittorio Bertarelli 4, Milan, 5 – 10 September 2021

Christie’s auction is at Mariencò, Via Ampola 18, Milan, 15 September 2021. All proceeds from the candleholders will go to Mario Negri Pharmacological Research Institute

mingardo.com

marionegri.it

christies.com

ADDRESS

Offstage
Piazza Luigi Vittorio Bertarelli 4
Milan

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Like many women embarking on motherhood, creative producer Charly Jacobs was prompted to think about the sustainability of life on earth after the birth of her daughter. Inspired by her own mother’s Filipino heritage, Jacobs took a deep dive into discovering the natural materials, handcraft traditions and tribal communities that are synonymous with the charm and beauty of the Philippines. The result of making those connections is Uri, a London-based handbag label that works with Filipino makers to create its handwoven baskets. 

‘My design process began when I was pregnant and continued into the highs and lows of early parenthood. During that time, I retreated to my parents house in the countryside and painted daily,’ Jacobs shares about the inspiration behind Uri’s organic forms. ‘I found myself drawing my growing shape again and again. The sculptural shapes of Isamu Noguchi [also] remained a constant source of inspiration for the designs that would go on to form the foundation of Uri’s look. I am an avid fan of basket bags and will use them until they fall to pieces, but my aim was to find a way to create one that lasted.’

Made from natural and undyed plant fibres, ranging from Abacá (Manilla hemp) to pandan leaves, each Uri design is made from modular compositions that are assembled in the Philippines and finished in the United Kingdom. Jacobs has established a network of farmers and makers to help develop and maintain sustainable practices at every step of the way. From locating farming, production and sampling in the Filipino region of Visayas, where Jacobs’ Filipino side of her family oversees operations, to collaborating with a community of female makers, who are mostly single mothers or grandmothers that have been left to care for their children and grandchildren while family members work abroad, Jacobs has ensured that Uri is as much about making the most of underutilised natural materials as it is about empowering communities in need.

‘As a sole parent, I know the value of time, and employing mothers and grandmothers means providing a safe place to play and study in our workshops, whilst financially supporting these matriarchal pillars of the community,’ adds Jacobs, who partnered with the Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion(LEDIP) Center in the Province of Iloilo, which focuses on reducing poverty through creating jobs and promoting investment. ‘

Our full supply chain from farm to fibre is possible because of a plot of family land I didn’t know existed until my first business trip to the province. My cousin made me aware of the plot of existing farmland and the government graciously donated some Abacá saplings for us to plant there, not only giving us the chance to sow the literal seeds of our supply chain on family soil but encouraging the growth and trade of this biodiverse fibre. We grabbed the opportunity with both hands and around two years later we are months away from having our full supply chain in working order. We also built everything from a simple braid technique, ensuring makers of every level could learn the techniques and adapt as our lines grow. ’

Each handbag is finished in the United Kingdom, where leather handles made by craftsman Kingsley Walters are attached. An inner lining made from 100% hemp is also created to ensure the longevity of the bag. Built to last, the bags are designed to adapt and evolve with use and time.

INFORMATION

uri.studio

A rare bricks-and-mortar retail launch in an era of online shopping, Les Six, located in Tottori Prefecture, in south-west Japan, is the latest brainchild of fashion designer Ryohei Kawanishi, who we featured in our story on Moma's ‘Are Clothes Modern?' show in the October 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*223). It is housed in twin Taisho-era warehouses: one offers limited-edition menswear items and unisex jewellery, under the Les Six label, and restored Mingei furniture and lighting by Shoya Yoshida, a champion of the folk craft movement; the other features a library stocked with art books and magazines from Kawanishi’s personal collection.

It is a concept store harbouring an open workshop, where the designer sometimes invites local grandmothers to choose buttons for a garment. The designer rejects the industrialised term ‘lifestyle’ and instead explains that his new creative hub is grounded in the art of i-shoku-ju, an ancestral Japanese term for ‘wear-live-eat’.

Kawanishi, an alumnus of Central Saint Martins and Parsons School of Design, is known for imbuing his personal label with sociological commentary, as showcased at institutions such as MoMA (see W*223) and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. He was also creative director of New York streetwear label Landlord, which he quit in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic in pursuit of greater creative freedom (the brand had cash flow issues, and Kawanishi’s visa was running out)’.

This experience prompted a return to his roots, both geographically and culturally. ‘Fifteen years of living abroad has brought me a clear vision of where I am from, and where I want to go,’ he says.

Reinstalled in Japan, and with renewed purpose, Kawanishi devoted himself to Les Six, a collective of designers and craftsmen he’d co-founded in 2017. ‘It does not mean that we are six people. My inspiration was Le Groupe des Six, a musical movement from the late 1910s and early 1920s helmed by my hero, Jean Cocteau, a cross-disciplinary artist and fellow hybrid creative director.’ 

Though not a major tourist destination in Japan, Tottori is known for its sand dunes, an otherworldly landscape that stretches out along the Sea of Japan. The spectacular dunes were the backdrop for the black-and-white photographs of Shoji Ueda, who lived in Tottori. ‘He was internationally acknowledged for his exquisite sense of composition. I love his minimalist and surrealist images.’ Among Ueda’s disciples is Yoshimi Ikemoto, his assistant of 20 years, who continues to work in Tottori and whom Kawanishi tapped to shoot the photographs on these pages.

In a series of atmospheric shots, Ikemoto captured one-off and bespoke items, such as a tailored coach jacket with buttons crafted by a local silversmith, hand-forged iron hangers, and pieces of repurposed vintage kimono.

Les Six is also a celebration of traditional craft. ‘Look at this long wooden table made from a single slab of 900-year-old Yoshikawa cedar,’ says the designer. ‘According to my carpenter, the region’s lack of sun contributes to the density of the local wood as the trees take longer to grow. After years spent in London and New York surrounded by art and fashion people, I’m now learning something else. It’s so refreshing. There’s a surge of creative energy,’ adds Kawanishi, who also has a Les Six ready-to-wear line in the works.

A creative response to crisis doesn’t just have to be practical – it can also be escapist and fanciful. Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Spanish luxury fashion house Loewe, was inspired by the idea of delight and fantasy in design. His S/S21 men’s and women’s collections abounded with voluminous shapes, exuberant adornments and artisanal techniques, such as capes cut like circles, dresses exploding with ruffles, and trousers that ballooned around the body.

The menswear offering of the Madrid-based brand, whose rich heritage is rooted in leather craftsmanship, included two leather tops, basket-woven by Galicia-based textile artist Idoia Cuesta, who had also created a series of fringed and knotted bags and vessels for the brand’s ‘Loewe Baskets’ exhibition at Milan Design Week 2019. Loewe's annual showcase is used to highlight the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship, with previous themes including leather marquetry and blanket and tapestry making.

‘The main challenge was adapting these designs to the human body,’ explains Cuesta of the pieces, which each took up to five days to weave. Incorporating Spanish, Asian and Scandinavian influences, the leather tops look armour-like but are lightweight, and include braided knots that naturally twist around the body and punctuate the sleeves and neckline. ‘Shaping the arm holes was the hardest challenge,’ remarks Cuesta.

One Loewe piece also boasts a spiral woven strap, an exaggerated take on a bag handle straddling the body. The styles may be imaginative, but they also reflect artisanal endurance. Adds Cuesta, ‘To use the ancestral and traditional knowledge that’s behind basketry, and to be able to use them to create fashion pieces, is major and symbolic.’

INFORMATION
loewe.com

From basketry to blanket making, a cacophony of craft techniques have been given a global platform by Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson. The Madrid label’s Loewe Foundation Craft Prize – inaugurated in 2017 and culminating in its fourth edition on 25 May 2021 – has also celebrated a host of artisanal traditions, with its winners excelling in lacquering, hand-coiled ceramics and woodwork. 

Now, in a reinforcement of the label's commitment to craft – described by Anderson as ‘central to Loewe's identity' – the brand has teamed up with Sotheby's on a sale of artist-embellished Galician chestnut roasters. These impressive handmade pots, idiosyncratic of their hole-punched surface, have been created by master potter Antonio Pereira. They have then been reinterpreted by three global artists, Japan's Arko, China's Min Chen and Spain's Laia Arqueros, and accented with bristles of rice straw, bamboo flowers or tongue-wagging glazed ceramic figurative accents. Seven chestnut roasters are available to purchase online at a fixed price through Sotheby's Buy Now online marketplace.

Loewe Weaves chesnut roasters

In celebration of the sale, Loewe also asked a host of its frequent collaborators and makers to reinterpret the chestnut roaster form, including its own in-house artisans, and Spain's Idoia Cuesta and Belen Martinez. Cuesta's work was also featured at the brand's ‘Loewe Baskets' Salone del Mobile exhibition in 2019, and she also created intricate woven leather tops for the label's S/S 2021 menswear collection. 84 designs – which will be exhibited and sold within Loewe boutiques worldwide – have been left in their raw form, glazed or painted, and explode in a profusion of fabric flowers, or have their surfaces braided with upcycled colourful ribbons, rope and leather string.

Loewe's bag designs have also been given the chestnut roaster treatment. A selection of its signature designs, including the Balloon Bag, have been embellished with discarded materials. The Loewe Weaves collection will be available at Loewe stores and loewe.com from 27 May 2021.

 INFORMATION

loewe.com; sothebys.com

Global lockdowns have inspired a revolution in crafting. From simple origami to mask-making, tactile pursuits have provided a welcome sanctuary away from the screen for many of us. As part of its virtual events series, London’s Sarabande Foundation is inviting budding artisans to try out a new hobby – the art of paper crafting.

Led by artist-in-residence Alice von Maltzahn and taking place on 23 February, The Understated Craft of Paper is an online workshop offering tutorials in traditional and contemporary paper craftsmanship.

From the comfort of home, you will learn a range of techniques – including collage, how to manipulate through folding and how to create a 3D pop-up. Using old magazines, scrap paper and newspapers, there will be an opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind portrait of yourself, your family or your housemate.

Resident at the Sarabande since October 2020, von Maltzahn’s art ranges from postmodern collage to large-scale paper installations, using Japanese paper inks and sustainable materials. The artist is currently working on a site-specific installation for the foundation’s east London space.

A keen proponent of ‘slow art’, von Maltzahn believes the humble piece of paper holds unlimited possibilities.

‘The most unassuming scraps of paper can become artworks and constructions,’ she says. ‘This is about opening up our creativity, having fun and being playful, creating a collage portrait or something more abstract. I want people to come away with some great collages, having had fun, and with a new understanding and appreciation for a material we’ve come to see as everyday and disposable.’

Sign up for the Zoom workshop, which will take place on 23 February 2021 from 5-7pm (GMT), via Eventbrite and find out more about Alice von Maltzahn’s work on the Sarabande Foundation website.

INFORMATION

sarabandefoundation.org

We’ve baked a standout sourdough, perfected a gold-star skincare regime and bashed out loaf upon loaf of banana bread. Keen to find a new pastime to perfect? These DIY knitting kits are sure to lift your lockdown lethargy. Needles at the ready!

Para Moda

‘Knitting encourages a real connection between the brain and the hands,’ says Benedicte Holmboe, founder of Copenhagen-based knitting label Para Moda. Holmboe, who specialised in men’s knitwear design at the RCA in London, graduating in 2012, and has worked for Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney and Celine, launched her label in November 2019, after being asked multiple times by strangers where her own knitted jumpers were from. The brand specialises in DIY knitting kits for beanie hats, bibs and sweaters in tones including zesty orange and bordeaux, meaning you can start with a simpler pattern and work your woolly way up. ‘Many of the people that try out my products come back again,’ Holmboe says. ‘I’ve had people reach out to me as far as New York and San Francisco.’

para.moda

Hesperios

Click on a knitwear design on the website of Harlem-based label Hesperios, and in the coming weeks, you’ll find an option to add an Artist Knit Kit to your chosen woolly warmer. These kits – featuring darning needles and 25 yards of colourful yarn – allow shoppers to customise their chosen knit with stitch formations of their choice. In celebration of the launch, the label has also enlisted 20 artists – including Jim Drain, Mengly Hernandez, Stella Berkofsky and Isa Killoran – to interpret a trio of its knitted designs with colourful yarns. These designs will be returned to the brand throughout the year, photographed and then sold on the Hesperios website. Your own DIY designs will have collectible status too. Once Hesperios' knitwear inventory sells out online, it will not be replaced.

hesperios.com

Mother of Pearl x Wool and The Gang

British label Mother of Pearl is steadfast in its commitment to sustainability. Its mindset is shared by Wool And The Gang, a brand that celebrates craftsmanship-focused, slow fashion with its range of knitting and crochet kits, spanning the best blankets, bags, snoods, and sweaters for DIY enthusiasts. Now, the two eco aficionados have woven together their worlds with the launch of a knitting kit for Mother of Pearl's signature ‘Blake’ cardigan, an oversized slouchy style which fastens with a faux pearl-strung gold safety pin. The ‘Blake Original’ kit is a patterned XL houndstooth version for those with knit know-how, and the ‘Blake Minimal’ is a classic simplified pattern for burgeoning knitters. Both are available in customisable colourways. 

motherofpearl.co.uk
woolandthegang.com

American artist Ken Price is best known for the small-scale biomorphic ceramics he produced in the later stage of his career, which he referred to as his own ‘golden period’. These blobby abstract forms, resembling flows of molten lava or oozy amoebas, were coated with prismatic layers of colour, formed experimentally from sanded down layers of acrylic paint, marbled together with a speckled, iridescent effect.

But it was a selection of more illustrative, graphic and domestic Price works which has inspired Loewe’s latest craft-celebrating capsule collection. This draws on a series of glazed ceramic plates and bowls he made for La Palme restaurant in Newport Beach in the 1980s. The offering also references pieces from series' inspired by the LA landscape and the moai statues of Easter Island, between the 1970s and 90s, and works in Happy’s Curios, a six-year long project dedicated to Price’s wife, inspired by the folklore, symbolism and colourful scenery of New Mexico, where the artist lived with his family from 1970-1982.

‘I wanted to show this early body of work because it really complemented Loewe in terms of technique,’ says the Madrid based brand's creative director Jonathan Anderson. For the collection's accessories, Price's work has been reinterpreted as mosaic puzzles of colourful leather, crafted using marquetry, a technique synonymous with the label since the Twenties. ‘The pieces are very labour intensive,' Anderson adds. The handles of bags are hand carved from tactile bamboo, while leather bucket bags and baskets have been hand-woven to resemble graphic fronds of palm foliage. Basket-making was a technique which Loewe celebrated at last year's Salone del Mobile, when 11 master weavers create limited edition objets d’art. ‘There's great appreciation for beautiful craft work,' adds Happy Price, of the affinity between her late husband's artistic oeuvre, and Loewe's aesthetic approach.

Ceramics obsessive Anderson, who counts works by Lynda Benglis, John Ward and Lucie Rie in his personal collection, often celebrates this artistic medium at Loewe. The label’s A/W 2020 womenswear collection features knobbly colourful ceramic charms by Japenese ceramicist Takuro Kuwata, who was also a finalist in the the 2018 Loewe Craft Prize, while a capsule collection last year, celebrated the decorative world of Arts and Crafts potter William de Morgan. ‘They're uplifting and optimistic,' Anderson says of the presience of Price's works. 'I feel like fashion is in a moment when it's questioning the purpose of buying. The collection's pieces are a way of investing into both Ken Price and Loewe.'

Originally scheduled for launch during Salone del Mobile in April, the collection has also found a new resonance with its winter launch. ‘I think it’s really nice to end the year with a celebration of craft,’ Anderson explains. ‘Spain is also a very hot country’ he adds of Loewe’s home country. ‘And I love this idea of a piece of summer during Christmas.'

INFORMATION

loewe.com

As a concept, the sensory traditional of craft doesn’t lend itself to the virtual world we are currently living in, yet its slow-paced, thoughtful approach is one that is much needed right now. Returning for its sixth edition, London Craft Week mindfully supports makers this year through a handful of interesting initiatives.

London Craft Week founder Guy Salter is launching Create Day for 2020, a global digital feature that he had been thinking up for a while. The one day event (10 October) highlights the act of creation and creativity around the world. Each region gets a chunk of time, and for this, curator Rue Kothari and designer Mira Hawa have produced a series of films in support of the design community in Beirut following the disaster that tore down many studios and creative spaces.

‘Rebuild BEIRUT: promoting Lebanese creativity’ will showcase the sheer resilience of six designers, Sayar Garibeh, Anastasia Nysten, Karen Chekerdjian, Bokja, Cynthia Raffoul and Anastasia Elrouss. ‘We had originally approached over 30 designers to participate in this project,’ Kothari and Hawa say. 'So many told us that their ateliers had been destroyed, along with their archives, and several were suffering personal injury and loss. The challenges were simply too great. We truly thank them for their consideration and are grateful to these final six for having produced or collated footage for Create Day - in order to keep the spotlight on Beirut as it continues the fundraising effort to rebuild the city.’

In the spirit of underpinning the maker industry, Holly Wood curates ‘300 Objects: An Inaugural exhibition for Modern Day Patron,’ inside Quadrant Arcade that features an array of emerging talents championed by a panel of guest curators including designer interior architect Martin Brudnizki and design curator Kristen de le Vaillière.

‘We wanted to broaden the conversations around contemporary craft that doesn't always feel represented,’ says Wood of the motivation behind the exhibition. Meandering through the Charlotte Taylor-designed space were designs by the likes of London-based Simone Brewster who was selected by Alice Fisher and Cockpit Arts-based wood artist Darren Appiagyei who was chosen by Yinka Ilori. Nottingham-based designer Mac Collins was also chosen by Ilori, and on display was his powerful new orange stained white timber chairs, made in collaboration with British manufacturer Benchmark.

Elsewhere works by south east London-based Jan Hendzel and fascinating vessels and mirrors made from industrial waste materials by Charlotte Kidger also decorated the laboratory of experimental making.

Making waves in the weaving world is Royal College of Art MA graduate Tiffany Loy who has realised 'The Weaverly Way’ – a project produced alongside British brand, Gainsborough Weaving. The spatial sculpture work lands in the centre of the CitizenM’s wooden staircase as a solid structure, tipifying the three-dimensionality of jacquard weaving.

Elsewhere inside Burlington Arcade, 14 craft practitioners went on view throughout the retail space in a collaboration with Future Icons, a project promotes a select collection of design and craft led businesses. Here, the public were able book in meetings with the makers to discuss processes and inspirations.

With this year‘s edition being postponed from May, the event’s founder Guy Salter expresses that 'I was determined we stuck with it because London remains a very important creative hub.’ In the virtual press preview, both him and managing director Jonathan Burton expressed they aim to encourage individuals to buy the works of these independent makers, Salter said, 'we wanted to show how we put the well known and the less well known together, illustrating the vision we have that people nowadays want to discover new talent.’

INFORMATION
londoncraftweek.com
www.createday.org

Opening in London’s Marylebone, SoShiro is a new gallery dedicated to design, craft and lifestyle, showing a collection that pays tribute to Japanese design and craft. Founded by architect and designer Shiro Muchiri, the gallery aims at fostering creative dialogues between international artists and craftsmen, preserving and innovating traditional techniques.

‘Having spent my life working in the design industry, I wanted to establish a platform that celebrates all kinds of aesthetics, not just those from a certain provenance, as there are so many stories to tell: stories with real people at their core,’ says Muchiri. Born in Kenya, she moved to Milan to study design and later to London, setting up her architecture practice in 2000. Last year, Muchiri relocated to a five-storey Georgian townhouse in Marylebone to present her vision of a culturally-diverse offering of lifestyle objects. 

As well as pieces designed by Muchiri herself, SoShiro presents unique collaborations between artists and craftsmen sourced globally, collaborating with specialist artisans and makers. After working with North Kenyan craftspeople on her first collection (titled Pok as a reference to the Pokot community who worked on the furniture pieces and accessories, which were designed by Muchiri), her second collection is based on the collaboration between a Japanese master craftsman and selected Italian manufacturers. ‘What we are doing is working with synergies,’ explains Muchiri, who has been working with her network to source the most inspiring craftsmen and skilled makers all over the world. 

Titled Ainu (and launched for London Craft Week), the latest collection presents the work of Japanese carver and sculptor Toru Kaizawa in a functional light, through a series of lifestyle objects and furniture that bring his artistry to life. The starting point of the collection is the sacred relationship between the Ainu people and their forests and nature, which was referenced by Kaizawa through a minimalist rendition of a fish owl eye motif. The design was applied to a series of porcelain objects as well an embroidered collection for the home featuring pieces inspired by the ritual of drinking tea and gathering around the table. Another series includes larger furniture pieces designed by Muchiri featuring a wooden panel, which was carved by Kaizawa in the same owl-inspired motif.

Inspired by a new approach to wellness in the home, the furniture pieces include a portable herb garden and a wellness cabinet – the latter made in Italy from eco-friendly engineered HDF wood and steel. Muchiri’s cabinets are available in two sizes and feature grey and red lacquered wood with a utilitarian metal interior (imagined as a large-scale medicine cabinet). Part of the Ainu collection exhibition is also a unique carved piece by Kaizawa, recreating the shape of a traditional Japanese kimono in wood. 'It’s incredibly exciting to bring these two very different practices together and see what happens when they merge,' she continues.

The top floor of the gallery was transformed into an events space offering guests and collectors a different point of view of Muchiri’s vision and inspirations. To celebrate the Ainu collection, she has enlisted sake sommelier Shane Jones to lead a series of tastings, creating an engaging experience that adds an intriguing layer to the design work.

INFORMATION

The Ainu collection is on view until 30 November
For more information, visit

soshiro.co

ADDRESS

23 Welbeck Street
London
W1G 8DZ

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For a young award of just four years, the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize draws an impressive roster of talent. Ranging from six continents and 18 different countries, merging rising stars and creative experts, the accolade continues to flip the dialogue around contemporary craft, and champion material experimentation and innovation.

‘As a house, we are about craft in the purest sense of the word. That is where our modernity lies, and it will always be relevant,’ says Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson, and the brainchild of the The Loewe Foundation Craft Prize. In the light of modernity, this year’s 30 finalists (chosen from 2,920 submissions) have often looked to upcycled materials and how these can be turned skilfully into objects of beauty and resonance. ‘We are seeing works of the highest cultural and aesthetic ambition, inspired by themes that reflect the state of the world,’ says Anatxu Zabalbeascoa, executive secretary of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize Experts Panel.

In the luxury brand’s Madrid base, it took the panel two days to whittle down the shortlist, that features interesting fusing of materials – from jewellery by Carla Garcia Durlan from Spain made from found fabrics and wood, to a copper wire and epoxy resin sculpture by David Corvalán, who wanted to highlight the abuse of industrial copper mining in the Atacama Desert in his hometown of Chile. Elsewhere, urushi lacquer, Japanese linden wood and hemp create an optical illusion in Kohei Ukai’s melting artwork.

Impressive glassworks come by way of US creative Jiyong Lee who was inspired by cellular mitosis to carve out a geometric glass structure, while Jessica Loughlin took cues from Australian deserts and salt lakes for an ethereal layered glass form that plays with light.

This year’s jury – including last year’s winner Genta Ishizuka; Anderson himself; former director of Design Museum Deyan Sudjic; architect and designer Patricia Urquiola and architect Benedetta Tagliabue – will choose the winning work in Paris, and the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize exhibition will be showcased at Musée des Arts Décoratifs there after.

Explore the shortlist below

Now based in the city’s historic Jewellery Quarter, Yard-O-Led is steeped in a picaresque history of jewellery craftsmanship that includes early makers of silver buttons, medals, cutlery and trinkets. And, though the name has also been traded along the way, Yard-O-Led has been creating intricate silver writing instruments in Birmingham for over 200 years.

Today, the workshop comprises a small team of five silversmiths, who craft each part of every pen or pencil design between them, with three people working on one pencil from the start of the process to the finished product. ‘We have used the same traditional skills for the past 90 years,’ says workshop manager Alex Roden. ‘This means we can still repair pencils that are nearly 80 years old, as we still have the parts and the skills to return them back to full working order.’ The brand’s signature subtle engraving points directly to each craftsman’s artistic touch, so that the work is easily identified upon return for refurbishment.

These intricate etchings – a Yard-O-Led design signifier – are made using antique chasing-punchers, which emboss the patterns into the silver. It is a laborious process, and not easily learned, as apprentices who have trained how to chase on a round barrel tool, practising on scrap silver for a year, have learned.

‘They practise until the master craftsman is happy with the pattern formation, depth of marks and development of the individuals’ decorative style,’ explains Roden. ‘We encourage each chaser to develop their own version of original Victorian patterns, whether it be an elaborate design or a change to the way the pattern echoes through the form.’ When approved, the craftsman carefully layers the pattern on to the pen barrel using different shapes while, with the lightest touch, the maker manipulates the chasing hammer to make his or her marks. 

INFORMATION

yard-o-led.com

It’s hard to beat the luck of the Irish, but with regards to a new design collaboration between Irish crystal manufacturers J. Hill Standard and fellow countryman, the artist and illustrator Nigel Peake, it’s not just luck that’s on their side. The two have come together on a beautiful collection of crystal glassware that’s been named ‘Hand Drawn Glass’, which departs from the rigidly cut patterns of traditional cut crystal and embraces a more fluid approach to form and embellishment.

The collection is comprised of a limited edition series of four patterns, and complemented by an open edition of seven other patterns. Peake, who’s known for his intricate paintings and illustrations of build and unbuilt landscapes, has conceived three tumblers in various sizes, as well as a carafe, a decanter and a bowl. The designs embrace clean, elemental shapes and where deployed, cuts in the crystal reveal the imprint of the artist’s hand by capturing the spontaneous and fleeting movements of line drawing.

‘Making cut crystal comes with a heavy weight of visual history,’ explains J. Hill Standard’s founder Anike Tyrell. ‘I found someone who can draw in an effort to usurp the immutable cut patterns. We began to explore a more organic approach to making - honouring the hand that makes and showing it's imprint. The glass is both the drawing and the drawn upon - the creative impulse caught on the wing.'

For this new collection, the company has not only fused traditional craftsmanship with contemporary form, but championed new flourishes as well. Some of the designs are accompanied by robust, oak-wood lids (signed by Peake) that effortlessly transforming simple everyday shapes into versatile vessels, containers and jars that can be cleverly used away from the dining table.

Find the Hand Drawn Glass collection exhibited at Atelier Courbet in New York’s Chelsea district this month.

INFORMATION

nigelpeake.com

jhillsstandard.com

Norwegian designer Lars Beller Fjetland was not entirely convinced when we approached him about contributing to this year’s love-themed Handmade exhibition. ‘You encounter so many love-related clichés while digesting your daily dose of media,’ he says. ‘It is a word many associate with ads for life insurance, fizzy drinks and even cat food, so you can easily argue that it has lost some of its potency and magic.’

Luckily, our floundering courtship righted itself as Fjetland decided to rise to the challenge and began ‘looking for something real and untainted’. While researching wedding rituals, he stumbled upon a pair of ducks, a romantic token given to couples during traditional wedding ceremonies in Korea. Mandarin ducks, Fjetland explains, are believed to mate for life, and to Koreans they represent peace, fidelity and offspring. ‘I felt these ducks evoked feelings of joy, passion and realness,’ he says. The natural world, fauna in particular, has been a recurring element in Fjetland’s work – such as the Turned collection he designed for Hem, a series of stylised bird figurines made with leftover wood. ‘I’ve always been fascinated by animals that live in monogamous lifelong partnership,’ he says. ‘It seems like a man-made construct, but there are several species that live this way.’

True to Wallpaper’s role as a catalyst for design and craft unions, we enlisted legendary Italian workshop Bottega Ghianda to bring Fjetland’s idea to life. Founded in 1889 as a small parquet-flooring workshop, it developed into a producer of objects and furniture, working with designers such as Gio Ponti and Gae Aulenti. Entrepreneur Romeo Sozzi (of Italian furniture brand Promemoria) took over the company in 2015, intent on preserving that incredible legacy and making it a brand fit for the future.

Fjetland was impressed: ‘The capabilities and the accumulated knowledge shared between Bottega Ghianda and Promemoria is beyond anything I have witnessed; everything is done with incredible attention to detail.’ Visiting the wood workshop for the first time, he adds, ‘was one of these rare occasions when reality exceeds your expectations’.

The admiration was mutual. ‘We liked each other at first sight, it was a happy encounter,’ says Sozzi. ‘Lars has an incredible creativity, and a lot of experience with wood, a material he loves as much as I do. At the same time, he is very professional and has a watchmaker’s kind of attention to detail.’ Sozzi immediately warmed to Fjetland’s idea for the ducks, which were developed by the workshop’s craftsmen using traditional techniques. The pair chose European maple and South American amaranth as the perfect materials for the project. The latter, a wood rarely employed by the furniture industry, was often used by Pierluigi Ghianda in the 1950s, and it instantly attracted Fjetland and Sozzi. ‘The wood’s reddish hue changes over time, becoming purple,’ explains Sozzi. ‘I liked the idea of this material representing how the love of a couple transforms with time.’ Fjetland notes how the Greek word ‘amarantos’ translates to ‘immortal and unfading’, a fitting message for a project celebrating everlasting love.

Each bird features a secret compartment (‘It was Romeo’s idea and I thought it was quite brilliant,’ says Fjetland) and contrasting wooden accents. The minimal forms were achieved through dedicated work from the artisans. ‘We had never worked on animal shapes,’ says Sozzi. ‘With this project, Lars brought Bottega Ghianda towards new, unexplored territories.’ For his part, Fjetland was surprised by the workshop’s ‘everything is possible’ attitude. ‘I’m so used to dealing with restrictions and limitations related to manufacturing time, budget and materials, and to be completely free was actually a little bit overwhelming to begin with,’ he says. ‘However, this was rather quickly replaced by an almost childlike desire to create, explore and play.’

The collaboration was so successful that Sozzi and Fjetland decided to work together on other projects, the first of which was launched at the same time as the Handmade exhibition, during Milan Design Week this year. ‘It was a pleasant surprise,’ says Sozzi. ‘As the Italian artist Bruno Munari said: “Da cosa nasce cosa” – out of one thing comes another.’

As originally featured in the August 2019 issue of Wallpaper* (W*245)

INFORMATION

beller.no; bottegaghianda.com

When designer Morten Hippe joined forces with furniture maker Frode Tingbø and a mutual friend, former professional footballer Jørgen Tengesdal, the trio had a clear idea in mind: to bring classic mid-20th century Norwegian designs back to life, or, as Hippe himself puts it, ‘to highlight the geniality of Norway’s long-lost design history for the world to see’.

They set up Eikund in 2016 with this premise and, after a year of research into the country’s furniture archives, design history, manufacturing techniques and materials, the brand unveiled the first reissues of designs by Sigurd Resell, Torbjørn Bekken and Fredrik Kayser; wooden chairs and tables featuring a distinctive Scandinavian aesthetic and a minimalist sensibility.  More furniture designs are in the works for 2019, and the young brand has also collaborated with hotels and restaurants, such as Stockholm’s At Six hotel, and institutions, such as the Norwegian Consulate General in New York.

‘Norway is the underdog of Nordic design,’ says Hippe. ‘When people think of Norway, they think about our oil and fishing industries, but we are much more than that,’ he continues, citing craftsmanship traditions, which range from boat building to weaving, embedded in a design DNA that still inspires a young generation of brilliant creative minds.

Having established its furniture production, Eikund’s next project takes on a humbler scale – a polar bear figurine by Arne Tjomsland, a somewhat forgotten figure of Norwegian design. Until now, his work has been a well-kept secret outside of the country, and even there, Hippe notes, it is mainly appreciated by rare collectors. A self-taught designer, Tjomsland specialised in small animal figures carved from wood or whalebone. Hippe says Tjomsland’s designs were on their to-do list from the start, but they had concerns about their fit with the new brand. ‘We came to the conclusion that we had to get his collection preserved for future generations, as it’s way too good to be forgotten.’

Tjomsland was born in 1915, the son of a preparator at Oslo’s Zoological Museum. Having lost his mother at a young age, he spent his days at the museum with his father, surrounded by animals; an environment that inspired his creativity. ‘One of his clearest memories,’ says Hippe, ‘was of a skinned bear hanging from the roof, a vision that stayed with him his whole life.’

In the 1940s and 1950s, Tjomsland worked in advertising and as a designer for the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo, before setting up his own carving workshop at home. The first piece he created, in 1955, was inspired by his time at the museum as a child: a stylised polar bear, its shape as simple as it was expressive. This marked the beginning of a prolific output of animal figurines inspired by Arctic fauna, as well as Inuits and Vikings, in wood and whaletooth. When demand for his pieces grew, production was partly taken over by a local company, Goodwill, which carried on making his pieces until the mid-1960s.

To get to grips with the full stretch of the archive, Hippe and his team worked closely with collectors all over Norway and with Tjomsland’s son Stein. ‘When I was young, I didn’t think much of all the sculptures he brought home,’ says Stein Tjomsland. ‘But in recent years, I could clearly see his genius in making those objects look so alive.’ One of his most vivid memories of his father involves him carving a piece of soap. ‘I was about eight or nine and I saw my father standing at the kitchen table with the soap and a knife. He started carving and within a few minutes he had turned it into a musk-ox. Then he said: “Now go wash your hands for dinner, and use this musk-ox to do it”.’

All of Tjomsland’s pieces seem to be intuitively carved with a sensibility that combines a deep understanding of natural shapes coupled with a poetic imagination and a touch of humour. ‘They all have their own personality in the way they look,’ says Hippe. ‘Tjomsland was able to catch a feeling in all his pieces, not too serious, not too playful, but just right.’

The polar bear is the first of what Hippe hopes will become a series of pieces by Tjomsland. It also expands Eikund’s scope as it enters into a collaboration with the WWF. ‘Together we will put focus on the polar bear and its diminishing habitat, issuing a special edition to support all the work that’s being done to protect this threatened species,’ says Hippe. And as Tjomsland’s originals were carved out of teak, a material from the rainforest, this has been substituted for a more sustainable wood, alder.

It has been a learning curve for Hippe and his team, both from a manufacturing perspective and for expanding their knowledge of Norway’s design history. ‘Tjomsland was special in that he saw things differently. He wanted to show the beauty of Nordic fauna in a pure and simple way,’ says Hippe, concluding with a quote from Tjomsland himself, which could very well serve as a universal definition of good design: ‘Because life is complicated, it has to be pure and right.

As originally featured in the April 2019 issue of Wallpaper* (W*241)

INFORMATION

eikund.com

Silent beauty. It’s a phrase that perfectly captures the shared aesthetic of two remote parts of the world. One is the Nordic region – especially Finland and neighbouring Sweden – the other is East Asia; mainly Japan, with ancestral influences from Korea and China. An exhibition by the same name combines the collection of Helsinki’s Ateneum (one of three museums forming the Finnish National Gallery), where the show is being held, alongside pieces from the Japan Folk Crafts Museum in Tokyo.

On display are mainly ceramics and paintings, dotted with sculptures, textiles and architecture, which explore the countries’ artistic synergy. The timing is apt: this year marks the centenary of diplomatic relations between Finland and Japan. The show’s time span is elastic: focusing on pre- and post-World Wars, yet sometimes diverting to Korea’s Joseon dynasty (15th century) or the present day.

The opening section profiles Yanagi Sōetsu, art critic, philosopher and father of the Mingei movement, initiated in 1925. His campaign, which emphasised the beauty of everyday objects in simplified shapes, culminated in the opening of the Japan Folk Crafts Museum in 1936. Yanagi had visited Stockholm in 1929 and played a key role in Japan’s embrace of Nordic aesthetics.

Meanwhile, Finnish and Swedish artists were discovering Japanese sensibilities through techniques and materials like woodcut printing and Japanese handcrafted paper, exhibited in Paris or at the Venice Biennale. This section’s display starts with a 19th-century haori, a kimono-style coat. The simple lines and geometric motifs of the garment, which was used as fireman’s uniform, illustrate the beauty in a functional item made by an unknown craftsperson. Coincidentally, its motifs also recall the universe of iconic Finnish design house Marimekko.

The next room is largely dedicated to landscapes, starting with an oil painting by Helene Schjerfbeck. The strong connection to nature highlights similarities between the Far East and the far north. Then a great number of stoneware and earthenware pieces appear including slender-shaped jugs and bottles by Kyllikki Salmenhaara, which recall the stretching cedar tree, while minimally shaped plates and bowls by Kanjiro Kawai and Shōji Hamada lend a sense of dynamism.

‘According to Hamada, it takes sixty seconds to apply his decorative technique, but it took him sixty years to learn it’, says Anne-Marie Pennanen, the show’s curator, pointing out the calligraphy-like motif on the plate. As a backdrop to the pottery, two stencil-dye (Katazome) works by Samiro Yunoki are displayed on the wall.

‘Silent Beauty’ unfolds as a perpetual dialogue between different disciplines. Its flow is organic, guided by themes such as winter, fire, still lifes and black and white. The show also includes ceramics by Bernard Leach, paintings by Ufan Lee, and abstract paintings and sculptures by the Finnish couple Ahti and Maija Lavonen. Among the qualities juxtaposed throughout this exhibition, such as harmony, calmness, cleanness, simplicity, patience, the most prominent of all is pure silence. Here, silence is more golden than ever.

INFORMATION

‘Silent Beauty: Nordic and East-Asian Interaction’, until 6 October, Ateneum. ateneum.fi

ADDRESS

Ateneum
Kaivokatu 2
00100 Helsinki

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Nothing demonstrates the freneticism and lightning pace of fashion more than the seasonal runway shows, which in a flurry of live streams, Instagram stories and snapshots wrapped up for another menswear season in Paris earlier this week. A joyful antidote to fashion’s rapid pace is the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, an award established by the Madrid luxury brand’s creative director Jonathan Anderson and the Loewe Foundation in 2016, to nurture and support global craftsman and their pace, time-honed and heritage-steeped specialisms, from silversmiths to glass blowers, jewellers to ceramicists.

2,500 finalists applied for its third iteration – an increase in its sophomore entrance figures of 44%. Inside Isamu Noguchi’s ‘Heaven’ stone garden in Tokyo – and amongst 29 finalists, from Seoul to Tel Aviv, Kyoto-based lacquer artisan Genta Ishizuka, was crowned the winner of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2019, scooping €50,000.

Ishizuka was awarded the prize by a panel of judges including Naoto Fukasawa, designer and director of the Japan Folk Crafts Musuem, Deyan Sudjic, essayist and director of the Design Museum London and 2018’s Loewe Foundation Craft Prize winner, South London-based ceramicist Jennifer Lee. Ishizuka’s winning submission, ‘Surface Tactility #11' (2018), a glossy and alluringly bulbous sculpture was inspired by the formation of oranges inside a mesh bag at the supermarket. It employs the historical ‘kanshitsu’ technique, first developed in the 7th century in Japan, where consecutive coats of lacquer, produced from naturally sourced urushi sap, are layered over polystyrene foam balls and linen cloth to create glossy shapes. ‘I don’t divide between what is termed art and craft,’ Ishizuka explains of his practice. ‘It’s about materials. Gloss is the most beautiful thing.’ With his winnings, Ishizuka plans to expand the size of his studio, so he can develop larger scale works.

‘As a maker myself, I’m fascinated by the way other things are made,’ says Lee of Ishizuka’s process. Ishizuka, who studied at the Royal College of Art in London and is represented by the city’s Erskine, Hall & Coe Gallery in Mayfair, has found particular popularity in the United Kingdom. The same appeal rings true for fellow Japanese metalsmith Koichi Io, whose hammered metal vessels, formed using a single sheet of metal, and richly coloured using a complex patination process, are more popular in the United Kingdom and Germany than his home country. There’s a contemporaneity behind Io’s pieces, which use traditional techniques once seen in samurai sword armour marking and culminate in animalistic forms, which he describes as a ‘conversation between metal.’

2019’s gongs also included two honorary mentions and €5,000, awarded to Edinburgh-based sculptor Harry Morgan, whose piece ‘Untitled’ from Dichotomy Series (2018), marries concrete and glass, and nods to stark forms in Brutalist architecture and Venetian ‘murine' glassmaking. Wang Shu, architect and Pritzker Prize jury member commended Morgan for his ‘confrontation of materials’.

Liverpool-based, Japan-born Kazuhito Takadoi, who studied horticulture, art and garden design, was also awarded for ‘KADO (Angle)’ (2018), a light filled hanging sculpture painstakingly formed from lengths of hawthorn twigs, interweaved using tiny lengths of waxed linen twine. ‘The time of creation begins when I find the material,’ Takadoi says of his process of harvesting twigs from his neighbouring farmer. He hones his designs using tweezers, and his pieces can take months to complete. Takadoi's approach was termed by designer Patricia Urquiola as a ‘craft without a name’. The same can't be said for the names of the Loewe Foundation's Craft Prize winners, whose global recognition is sure to sky rocket.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Loewe and Loewe Craft Prize websites

Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Spanish luxury brand Loewe, is a committed champion of craft. ‘It’s something I’ve always been fascinated by, this idea of an individual being able to make something,’ he says. ‘Craft is modernity; to look at different craft forms over time is a very good barometer to know where people are.’ His efforts to promote craft extend to the brand’s annual exhibitions in Milan, which have celebrated the likes of marquetry, ceramics and textiles. This year’s display – its fifth iteration – will turn the spotlight on basket making.

Titled ‘Loewe Baskets’, the show is divided into two sections: Inspiration and Collection. For the former, Loewe has invited 11 international artists, mostly master weavers but with very different styles and techniques, to create a limited-edition objet d’art using Loewe leather, based on the theme of basketry. Meanwhile, the latter features bags, accessories and charms that have been woven in Loewe leather by three leading Spanish artisans who specialise in traditional Galician weaving and knotting techniques.

Anderson was first inspired to focus on basketry after inviting 2018 Loewe Craft Prize nominee Joe Hogan (who has also taken part in ‘Loewe Baskets’) to create large-scale woven pods for his S/S19 fashion show. ‘I wanted to focus on this idea of a vessel, of carrying or displaying it. There’s a historical context this year too, looking at Spain, America, Japan, all around the world, and the different ways of making a basket sculpture,’ Anderson says.

Most of the participating artists typically weave with natural fibres such as reed, straw, jute or willow, drawing inspiration from regional traditions. Jennifer Zurick, an artist who lives in rural Kentucky, usually works with willow bark that she harvests herself. For Loewe, she created a sculptural piece using cord leather and willow bark that could easily be called abstract expressionist in its twisting, rhythmic movement. The inspiration for Entwined ‘comes from nature, birds’ nests, and vines’, she says. ‘I envisioned a form that you might find growing along a woodland path, with a more natural, flowing expression.’

Binky Newman, of Design Afrika, worked with AmaXhosa weavers from outside Cape Town to create baskets based on traditional forms. Their pieces for the exhibition ‘are a contemporary interpretation of traditional techniques and materials’, she says. ‘This balance is central to our design philosophy, whereby we aim to nurture and sustain tradition, while encouraging development of new products that are relevant to a contemporary lifestyle.’

If a basket could tell a story, the most intriguing one to hear might be Geisha’s Handbag, by American artist Deloss Webber, who lives in northern Washington State. Webber learned weaving from his mother while growing up in North Africa and Spain, but his travels to Japan have also been a big influence on his work. Taking the form of a traditional geisha handbag, his piece is weighted down by a heavy river stone, which is placed within the tightly woven form. Stones, sourced from the north-west United States and the Salish Sea, ‘act as the foundation of my work’, says Webber. Combined with fibre, they ‘elicit a visceral response to create their own contemporary artefact’.

Prior to this commission from Loewe, Irishman Hogan had never worked in leather. His work is deeply connected to the baskets made by Irish farmers and fishermen. The large pods installed for Loewe’s S/S19 fashion show were inspired by traditional eel traps. For Milan, he created a set of baskets using leather cording that tie in at the top with found branches.

The re-contextualisation of traditional techniques is also at the heart of the Loewe Collection pieces. For the all-women collective As Redeiras, which made a series of unique charms, the inspiration was fishermen’s nets and knots. Elsewhere, Idoia Cuesta, who typically works with yarns or natural materials, studied with Galician basket makers who passed on their knowledge of materials and techniques, such as transforming a branch of a tree into a strip of wood, and using the wealth of vegetable fibres that exist naturally in the region. In her designs for Loewe, she used ‘intuitive techniques, inspired by how birds make their nests. Although apparently chaotic, it is actually a very complex process,’ she says. Taking a cue from Japanese basketry, she also wove together bamboo and leather.

Completing the collection is a series of woven leather purses by Álvaro Leiro, who usually works in reed. ‘I research and collect Galician basketry, and I usually focus on techniques that are mostly forgotten,’ he explains. ‘In my opinion, we are facing the end of a cycle and a way of life that has lasted for many centuries and is about to disappear forever. This radical change in our society will cause us to lose a lot of information about our ancestors.’

A similar thought was echoed by Zurick. ‘The immense time invested in transforming hand-gathered fibre into a beautiful woven vessel is not economically viable, and has thus resulted in a decline in professional American basket makers.’ With ‘Loewe Baskets’, Anderson and his team have put the endangered art of basketry onto the contemporary stage for renewed appreciation and much deserved recognition.

INFORMATION
‘Loewe Baskets’ is on view 9-14 April. The Loewe Collection pieces will be available to buy online and from selected Loewe stores from July 2019. For more information, visit the Loewe website

ADDRESS

Via Montenapoleone, 21
Milan, Italy

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From the days of the industrial revolution, craft and design were long pitched against one another; one representing a traditional, even regressive way of life, and the other symbolising progress and the future.

However, since the financial crisis hit ten years ago, the design industry's relationship with craft has been undergoing a sure and steady shift. Out of an era of unsustainable excess, comes a time of reflection. Designers have started to explore craft as something cultural rather than a primitive process.

‘The financial crash made a lot of brands realise that design had overstretched itself into the realm of the extravagant and absurd,’ observes curator Hugo Macdonald whose exhibition, ‘Useful/Beautiful: Why Craft Matters’, opens at Yorkshire's magnificent Harewood House.

Macdonald  continues, ‘today, we've realised that we are living in a very different world to ten years ago. We need to reconnect with what matters and start thinking about resources and repair. We need to start thinking about making things that are fit for purpose and not just making things for the sake of it. It's no accident that as the financial crisis unfolded, simultaneously designers started to rethink their relationship with craft.’

At ‘Useful/Beautiful’, Macdonald unpacks this subject, examining the role craft can play in culture, identity and society. Invited to curate the exhibition by Jane Marriott, Harewood House Trust director, Macdonald will assemble the work of 26 designers across the house's grand Robert Adam-designed interiors.

For the sprawling country house, which functions as an educational charitable trust and has shown contemporary art exhibitions for over 30 years, the introduction of craft seems long overdue. Completed in 1780s on eve of the industrial revolution, the house itself, MacDonald points out, is an outstanding example of fine craftsmanship.

‘The trust wanted to bring contemporary craft into the house in a bold and rebellious manner so that it could function as a platform to talk about what craft represents today,’ says Macdonald. ‘So the exhibition has a dual purpose – it's part of a wider discussion within the industry but also a way of waking the house up in some way.’

Each room will feature the work of a different exhibitor, which is subtly placed within its interior – often with an implicit connection. For example there will be a bookbinder in a library, and a paper artist in another library. There is spun iron cookware in the kitchens, garden tools made out of reclaimed Second World War ammunition in the garden room, and Simon Hasan's leather vases will be displayed in the library.

‘The items are integrated into the house quite subtly but in a very poetic way,’ explains Macdonald. ‘When people do notice the link it will be a nice opportunity for them to discover a layer of the exhibition that hasn't been fed to them.’

The showcase will also include three special commissions, the first of which is an exhibition of work by Faye Toogood. The London-based designer has selected 40 pieces from her portfolio of fashion, furniture and one-off objects to demonstrate the skill of the UK-based small-scale fabricators and traditional artisans with whom her studio works.

Commenting on how craft is linked to identity, graphic artist Anthony Burrill has contributed a four-metre-high Tyvek-wrapped scaffold tower. Installed outside the house, it features a different slogan writ large on each of its four sides: ‘We are who we make’, ‘We are what we make,’ ‘We are when we make’ and ‘We are how we make’.

Meanwhile, Max Lamb has created a 24 sq m yellow rug for the drawing room, which he made using leftover wool from a local textile factory and dyed using natural materials that he harvested by hand from the Harewood Estate. ‘Max worked with the estate's head gardener and took an almost forensic approach to the production process,’ enthuses Macdonald. ‘The result is a feat of dedication. He has created something that is of Yorkshire and the house while at the same time pushing his own learning.’

Macdonald was keen to ensure that the 26 exhibitors were as diverse in terms of the material and scale at which they work as they were diverse geographically and in age. The result is a selection that runs the gamut from graduates and independent artists, to those working on a larger more industrial scale, such as Hiut Denim and 1882 Ltd.

In each room, a passage of text written in the artist's own words explains why they make – a topic that, Macdonald says, is often passed over in favour of the how or what. ‘Despite the diversity of the exhibits, a lot of the exhibitors have touched on exactly the same themes, which are some of the most pressing issues we face in life today,’ he says.

‘Everything from conversations surrounding mass consumption and landfill, to the lack of human connection due to our reliance on technology and the feelings of loneliness, depression and detachment that can bring about. The principles that are baked into craft actually answer quite a lot of these questions.’

With the exhibition opening as Brexit looms large on the horizon, Macdonald believes that this celebration of craft is particularly poignant. He explains, ‘what I'd like people to take away is not that slightly mawkish “We can still make it” message that we've heard so much of in recent times, but rather the fact that the skills that we showcase in the exhibition are rich for their diversity and cultural co-mingling.’

‘The question of what we can learn from craft and how we can bring it into our wider lives is more timely than ever. It's not about needing to rescue craft from extinction, it's about what we can to learn from it – the reality is that we need craft and not the other way around.’

INFORMATION

‘Useful/Beautiful: Why Craft Matters’ is on view 23 March – 1 September 2019. For more information, visit the Harewood House website

ADDRESS

Harewood House
Harewood
Leeds
LS17 9LG

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Loewe has just revealed the 29 artists shortlisted for the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2019. It’s the third edition of the global competition that was conceived by creative director and keen craft collector Jonathan Anderson in 2016 to promote and honour contemporary craftmanship from around the globe in all its myriad forms.

This year, over 2,500 submissions from over 100 countries (a YOY increase of 44 per cent) were reviewed by a panel of nine experts, who convened in Madrid for two days to ‘identify the most outstanding works in terms of techinical accomplishment, innovation and artistic vision’. As always the finalists hail from far reaches of the globe, although there are a notable quota of 10 representing Japan, eight are UK-based and there are four from Korea.

A jury composed of 11 leading figures from the world of design, architecture, journalism, criticism, and museum curatorship, including Anderson and also Jennifer Lee, winner of last year's prize, will select the winner from the shortlist.

Each year the announcement of the winner takes place in a different city. Last year’s ceremony took place at London’s Design Museum and for the inaugural year the announcement and exhibition took place in Loewe's home city of Madrid. This year the jury will travel to Tokyo and the prize of 50,000 euros will be presented to the winner on 25 June at the opening of the Loewe Craft Prize 2019 exhibition, which is being held at Isamu Noguchi’s indoor stone garden ‘Heaven’ at the Sogetsu Kaikan in Tokyo – a suitably tranquil setting in which to enjoy the rich diversity of hand-hewn works on display.

INFORMATION

For more information visit the Loewe Craft Prize website

A large sculpture dominates the living room of Simone Pheulpin’s modest apartment west of Paris. It is laid out on a table, its surface a riot of shapes and textures. It boggles the mind that the entire thing – part of a pair commissioned by clients for their new home in the Hamptons – is made of cotton and pins. Pheulpin put over four months of patient handiwork into sculpting them, a real challenge despite 40 years of experience in her craft. ‘Now I see I was capable of doing it,’ she says, ‘and I can’t believe it.’

At age 77, Pheulpin is finally having her moment. This year she is exhibiting in both France and the UK, has won the Grand Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris and received a special mention at the Loewe Craft Prize. As Loewe’s creative director Jonathan Anderson says, ‘Simone transforms humble materials into incredible sculptures. Her work is not something you come across every day, it is a true source of inspiration.’ Major museums are also taking note: both the Art Institute of Chicago and London’s V&A Museum have bought some of her works for their permanent holdings.

Antonia Boström, the V&A’s director of collections, became aware of Pheulpin’s sculptures about a year ago. ‘When you first see the work, you think it’s ceramic or clay that’s been cut,’ she says. ‘Then, when you understand what it’s really made of, it’s amazing. It adds to the extraordinary wonder of the object.’

Pheulpin’s character is equally surprising – a petite grandmother of five with a pleasant, matter-of-fact demeanour and sly flashes of humour. Born in 1941, she grew up in the Vosges region. Her home town produced cotton for automobile tyres; as a child she played in the mills among the fabric. At 17, she was turned down to study at Nancy’s École des Beaux-Arts, so she took evening classes, married, had children, worked as a medical secretary and taught tennis. In her leisure time she sewed colourful fabric panels for her children’s rooms. One day she put the colourful fabric aside and picked up the raw cotton lining that gave it structure.

‘I remember the first piece I did. I put little circles in a box. But why I did that I don’t know,’ she says. She was 35 years old. In the years since, she has perfected her technique, always using raw cotton in the same off-white shade. There are no preparatory sketches: once her hands get started, it’s the material that guides her. Repeating the same folding and pinning gestures, she produces a startling variety of shapes from the natural world: swirls like sheep wool, concentric circles like cross sections of trees, fault lines. It took her ten years to figure out how to craft a hole; these days her goal is to recreate the cracked earth of the desert.

Pheulpin works at a small table in her flat or her family home in the Vosges. She is on her third thimble, having pierced two by pushing on millions of pins. She once asked a pin manufacturer for sponsorship, but it declined, saying that the pins were not visible in her work. Shortly afterwards, she was having her ankle X-rayed and thought of doing the same to a sculpture. The result was stunning, its exposed skeleton a prickly, swirling ballet. Now she regularly gets smaller works scanned, and the pin maker has become a sponsor.

One of Pheulpin’s biggest pieces required 5kg of pins, 3kg of fabric and nine months of effort. It belongs to Galila Barzilaï-Hollander, who owns four of Pheulpin’s sculptures. ‘She reflects herself in her work,’ the art collector says. ‘It’s very Zen, quiet, meditative, humble.’

For a long time, Pheulpin’s career was also quiet, notably in France, where textiles have only recently been considered a ‘noble’ art form. Pheulpin says, ‘People would see my work and say: “It’s beautiful. Oh… it’s fabric?” And suddenly it wasn’t so beautiful anymore.’ Things changed after she met Florence Guillier Bernard of itinerant gallery Maison Parisienne, who has represented her since 2008. Now, Pheulpin’s problem is that she works nearly every day, and still struggles to keep up with demand. When other artists ask where she stores her unsold works, ‘I don’t dare tell them I don’t have any’, she says with a sheepish laugh.

As originally featured in the September 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*234)

INFORMATION

For more information, visit Simone Pheulpin’s website