13 craft exhibitions to see in the UK this October
Brighten up the shorter days with these unmissable shows and fairs
Yinka Ilori: Parables for Happiness
Joy, colour and cultures collide in a display of textile, artworks, furniture and personal possessions from artist-designer and Crafts Council trustee Yinka Ilori. Immerse yourself in his signature vibrant palette, while learning about his inspirations, ranging from Nigerian fabrics to the diaspora community of his childhood.
15 September 2022 – 25 June 2023 at Design Museum, London
Feet of Clay: Contemporary Ceramics
This exhibition examines the intrinsic relationship between the body and clay. Visit Kestle Barton’s farmstead-turned-gallery to see new work by artists Attua Aparicio Torinos, Saelia Aparicio, Simon Bayliss, Brickfield, Phoebe Collings-James and Rosanna Martin.
Now until 29 October at Kestle Barton, Cornwall
Maria Bartuszová
Rarely seen before sculptures by the Prague-born Slovak artist Maria Bartuszová chart her work from the 1960s to the 1980s, as she navigated communist rule and motherhood. Ranging from small organic forms to commissions for public spaces, the exhibition explores her use of white plaster – its fragility, sculptural possibilities and use as the subject for her striking photographs.
Maria Batuszová in her studio in Košice, Slovakia, with her sculptures evoking nests, hollowed eggs, shells and other natural forms, c.1987 Courtesy the Archive of Maria Bartuszová, Košice and Alison Jacques Gallery, London. Photo: Gabriel Kladek Untitled 1985, Maria Bartuszová. Photo courtesy the Estate of Maria Bartuszová and Alison Jacques Gallery
The Art of Movement: Van Cleef & Arpels
French jewellery maison Van Cleef & Arpels have a distinct ability to create movement and dynamism from precious materials. Here you’ll find nearly a hundred works – including drawings from their archive, works from their collection and masterpieces on loan – which will take you through their key inspirations: nature, dance and elegance.
Now until 20 October at Design Museum, London
Shōji Hamada: A Japanese Potter in Ditchling
In 1921, Shōji Hamada – the renowned Japanese potter – took a trip to the village of Ditchling, where he found a small but bustling art and craft community. This exhibition pays tribute to this meeting point, the interaction between East and West, and the birth of the UK’s studio pottery movement.
22 October - 16 April 2023 at Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft, East Sussex
Sitting Pretty
Five new park bench designs by leading Scottish designers will be unveiled in the grounds of Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute. Commissioned by Design Exhibition Scotland, the site-specific benches respond to Mount Stuart’s architectural materials, landscape and traditional design methods – and we bet they’ll look gorgeous this autumn.
Formed with Future Heritage
The craft community will be sure to flock to the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour for Formed with Future Heritage – a forward-focused showcase of established and emerging talent. Curated by influential design journalist (and Crafts’ contributor) Corinne Julius, the show aims to bridge the gap between makers and those looking to buy or commission.
10 - 14 October at Design Centre London
Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art
Featuring 23 international artists including Grayson Perry, Magdalene Odundo, Lubna Chowdhary and Edmund de Waal, this major exhibition explores the possibilities of clay in a contemporary art context. Works vary in scale – the modest right up to sprawling, room-sized installations – style and technique, in an ambitious tour of today's talent.
26 Oct 2022 – 8 Jan 2023 at Southbank Centre, London
Samantha Bryan: The Adventure So Far
Samantha Bryan has a worldwide cult following, and The Adventure So Far shows why. In sculptures created specifically for Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Bryan’s signature style rings loud. Fairy-like characters, which are built around a wire skeleton with heads moulded from clay and bodies hand-stitched in leather, meet her most treasured found and collected objects.
While you’re at YSP, why not also check out Relics in the Landscape – a series of epic bronze sculptures by acclaimed North American artist Daniel Arsham.
7 September — 23 October at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield
Samantha Bryan, detail from Brains Bottom Warming Garments for fairies. Photo: Joanne Crawford, courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Samantha Bryan, Test Flight. Photo: Joanne Crawford, courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair
200 of the UK’s finest makers will descend on Manchester’s iconic Victoria Baths for the 15th iteration of the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair, spanning disciplines including glass, jewellery, interior and fashion textiles, ceramics, prints, furniture, lighting and more. A great one to visit pre-Christmas, we think…
13-16 October at Victoria Baths, Manchester
Drawings for Floors
To celebrate 40 years of her practice, British designer Helen Yardley is taking over Ruthin Craft Centre, Denbighshire, in a solo exhibition of bold hand-tufted and knotted rugs and wall hangings. With a colourful mix of both classic pieces and unseen designs, this exhibition will bring Yardley’s experience, knowledge and innovative style to life.
The Knitting & Stitching Show
The largest textile event in the UK makes its return to both Alexandra Palace and HCC Harrogate this October. Head over to find hundreds of workshops with leading textile tutors, curated textile galleries and a mammoth range of craft and textile supplies. There’s now also a Yarn Village dedicated to quality handmade yarn. Sold.
6 - 9 October at Alexandra Palace, London, and 17 - 20 November, HCC, Harrogate
Knitwear: Chanel to Westwood
As temperatures turn and the woollies come out of the cupboard, Dovecot Studios are spotlighting 150 pieces of inspirational knitwear – including 1920s Chanel, 1960s crochet and 1980s Vivienne Westood – in a modernist-punk-pop bonanza. It’s one not to miss.
15 October 2022 – 11 March 2023 at Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh
