10 craft exhibitions to see in the UK this September

Poets: Tristano di Robilant

For his second solo exhibition with Tristan Hoare gallery, artist Tristano di Robilant will pay homage to great poets and their inimitable ability to capture the world around them. On display will be a selection of abstract glass and ceramic sculptures that play with shape and colour, and – like poems – encourage the viewer to develop their own interpretations.

28 September – 27 October at Tristan Hoare, London

Double Weave: Bourne and Allen’s Modernist Textiles

To mark 10 years since its redevelopment, the Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft is spotlighting the work of its co-founder Hilary Bourne and her life partner, Barbara Allen. Though largely unknown today, the duo ran a thriving textile studio that designed fabrics for a wealth of notable brands and venues including Liberty, Fortnum & Mason, London’s Festival Hall, and even the UK’s first jet planes – this exhibition brings their legacy to the fore. Crafts members: look out for your ticket discount (50% off) later this month.

16 September – 14 April 2024 at the Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, East Sussex

The Fabric of Democracy: Propaganda textiles from the French Revolution to Brexit

You may associate propaganda with posters, public art, or perhaps television adverts, but what about fabric? This exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum delves into how cloth has been used as a means of communication throughout times of political upheaval, showcasing everything from Japanese robes worn during the Asia-Pacific war, to provocative French toile.

29 September – 31 March 2024 at the Fashion Textile Museum, London

London Design Festival

All grown up, London Design Festival returns to the capital for its 21st edition. As expected the sprawling, city-wide event will showcase an abundance of exciting creative projects, with crafty highlights including an installation containing 50,000 handcrafted washi-paper flowers by Hayatsu Architects, and vivid tapestries by artist Nirbhai Singh Sidhu that explore the teachings of the Sikh faith.

Until 24 September at various London venues

The Mother & The Weaver

Bringing together textiles, sculptures, paintings and more, this exhibition sets out to explore motherhood and the emotional complexities that come with the maternal experience. The show will play out across the entire museum, displaying over 40 works from an all-female cast of artists including names such as Louise Bourgeois, Marlene Dumas, Sheila Hicks and Pipilotti Rist.

22 September – 18 February 2024 at the Foundling Museum, London

Touch Wood

Medieval sculpture, folk motifs, nature’s seasons and sacred geometry are just some of the influences on Jonathan Baldock’s latest solo exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s Weston Gallery. The multidisciplinary artist has excitingly created a whole new body of ceramic sculptures and textile hangings for the show, all of which will be accompanied by a bespoke soundscape developed by musician Luke Barton.

23 September – 14 April 2024 at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton

Anne Mette Hjortshøj Ceramics

Anne Mette Hjortshøj – who appeared in the Spring/Summer 2023 issue of Crafts – is known for creating pots from clay sourced near her home on the Danish island of Bornholm. A selection of these pots are now making their way to London’s Goldmark gallery, where they’ll be exhibited alongside a host of other special projects by the ceramicist (including the tableware she made for esteemed restaurant Noma).

From 16 September at the Goldmark gallery, Rutland

Clocking Off

Named after the act of ‘clocking off’ from work, this exhibition by Polish artist Rafal Zajko examines anxieties about the professional sphere and the increasing instability of employees’ rights. At the heart of the gallery will be a huge, body-shaped ceramic sculpture that swings like the pendulum of a grandfather clock, evocative of the pace of the modern workday – certainly a show worth making time for.

16 September – 26 November at Queercircle, London

Making:50 by Textile Study Group

Originally established in 1973 to offer support to embroidery tutors, the Textile Study Group has evolved into a collective of the UK’s most esteemed artists and educators. Now, to celebrate half-a-century since its founding, the group is launching a touring exhibition of fabric works created by its core 25 members – this month, the show lands in arts centre The Ropewalk.

16 September – 26 November at The Ropewalk. Barton upon Humber

Nicholas Lees: Abstract Vessels

Using porcelain clay, sculptor Nicholas Lees throws and hand carves hypnotic vessels that play with viewers’ sense of perception, and reality. Several of them will be on show as part of his mesmerising self-titled show at the Petersfield Museum, along with a selection of his rarely seen paper works.

19 September – 18 November at the Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery, Petersfield