Crafts issue 298: Bolder visions
Cape Town-based artist Igshaan Adams is this issue's cover star. Portrait by Kent Andreasen
The Spring/Summer 2024 issue of Crafts is a testament to the vital importance of creative practice in giving us purpose and shaping our collective futures. As the UK hurtles towards a general election, we argue that craft in all its forms is fundamental for the country, while the makers we meet across the magazine – who hail from around the world – show us what it means for them personally.
Our Cape Town-based cover star Igshaan Adams shows us his cloud-like bead sculptures and muses on the redemptive power of beauty. Emma Witter invites us to her London home, where work and life intertwine amid her art pieces made of shells and bones. Friends Bijoy Jain and Chiaki Maki contemplate body, land and their Himalayan weaving workshop. A crop of modern-day thatchers explains why the ancient building technique is enjoying a revival. And woodworker Rio Kobayashi tells us why real life is the best education.
Chila Burman recalls the ephemera found around her dad’s seaside ice cream van and Yinka Shonibare wraps a new body of work in his beloved batik. Jacqueline Poncelet talks candidly about her creative path and Jonathan Baldock takes centre stage. Outi Pieski advocates for soft protest and Rana Begum thinks back to weaving baskets in Bangladesh. A group of makers in the Middle East come together in solidarity amid conflict and upheaval, while others find ways to harness the power of nature.
Elsewhere, the Barbican gets tangled up in textiles, Japan’s mingei movement goes global, and gaming gets the handmade touch. Finally, we lay on a spread of inspiration through our spotlight on food: indulging in the many ways that cooking and craft can enrich each other.
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Launch party on 16 May
Join us at Crafts Council Gallery to celebrate the launch of Crafts Spring/Summer 2024 edition, hosted by Crafts editorial team, as part of London Craft Week. You’ll be joining a true gathering of the craft community, bringing together Crafts Council’s wider team and friends, some of this edition’s contributors, featured makers, Crafts members and others who are passionate about craft.
As part of this event, there will be a panel discussion to kick off This Country, a year-long programme presented by Crafts, exploring the role of craft in shaping English identity and culture – past, present, and future. Led by Crafts editor Debika Ray, our panellists Gus Casely-Hayford, director of V&A East, artist Corbin Shaw, and designer-researcher Shai Akram will consider the often thorny relationship between craft and heritage in England - and look to conjure new ways to think about it. We invite you to join the discussion.
While in the gallery, you’ll be able to enjoy an exhibition of contemporary works exploring these themes, curated and presented independently by design studio Forest + Found.
6.30pm, Crafts Council Gallery, London. Book to attend now (Crafts Gold and Silver members get complimentary tickets).
