Makers reveal their Christmas wish lists

17 November 2020

Artists, designers and craftspeople give present-buying tips, and tell us what they hope to find under the tree

17 November 2020

I always visit open studios. At Cockpit Arts in London’s Deptford, I discovered Katherine Wardropper, who makes wearable textile art – she was showing mini versions of her intricate designs as luxurious Christmas decorations. I check out Christmas craft markets – it’s at one of those that I discovered knitwear designer Row Pinto. There are several individual makers whose work I love: Eleanor Pritchard, who has a unique way of putting colours together in her home furnishings, and Louisa Taylor, whose work fascinates me – her teapots are practical, yet look like they have been pulled out of a hand-drawn image. Then there are Billy Lloyd’s jugs, which are sturdy and have a life of their own. I’ve already bought myself my own early Christmas present: tools, including steel stakes and shapes, from eBay.

Utz by Bruce Chatwin

Prue Venables, potter

The best handmade gift I ever received was a porcelain cup and saucer by Joanna Constantinidis, given to me by Alison Britton; she bought it at Contemporary Applied Arts. It signalled a change in the direction of my own work many years ago. I particularly covet the work of Lucie Rie – I have a saucer that needs a cup. I often make presents myself, but I would recommend Contemporary Applied Arts and the Contemporary Ceramics Centre, both in London, and Oxford Ceramics Gallery for Christmas shopping. My favourite books to give are Utz by Bruce Chatwin, and Paperness by Nithikul Nimkulrat: a wonderful book, full of gorgeous paper textures and objects.

Two Cubes, hand embroidered on wool, Richard McVetis

Luke Hope, wood artist

I tend to look at small independent UK shops, including The Future Kept, Earl of East and Midgley Green, and makers I know such as ceramicists Jono Smart and Florian Gadsby or wood artists Sophie Sellu, Catherine Johnston and Alex Devol. The best craft gift I’ve received was from Jono himself, who gave me a set of ceramic bottles and vases. I’m hoping someone will give me work by the Taiwanese ceramicist Wu Wei Cheng, sometimes available through one of my favourite galleries, Maud and Mabel, or embroidery by Richard McVetis. I recently received some beautiful Japanese handmade blue steel chisels, and I’m planning to buy myself some Japanese kitchen knives from Kitchen Provisions.

Gyuto (Japanese chef's knife) from Blenheim Forge

Angel Monzon, gallerist

As a gourmand, my first port of call is a food market such as London’s Borough Market. One of the best gifts I’ve received was a beautiful leather apron for barbecuing, hand-crafted in Shrewsbury, from Risdon & Risdon. On my own wish list is a hand-forged chef’s knife from Blenheim Forge, but I’ll probably have to buy it myself since gifting knives is bad luck. I love many of the British basket weavers, especially Josey Goodin and Annemarie O’Sullivan, represented by The New Craftsmen. Both artists are bringing basket-weaving into the 21st century. I also enjoy gifting old maps, which can be picked up at all budgets, but for a very special person, a handcoloured copper-plate engraving from the 17th-century is the only thing that will do.

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Basketware reindeer by Jackie Sweet

Kazuhito Takadoi, artist

Sometimes I buy gifts; sometimes I make my own. It depends on the recipients. There are many craft markets where you can discover talented artists who deserve support. I make my own Christmas cards with grasses and twigs – smaller versions of my work, which gives me a different perspective – and pieces of jewellery for dear friends, like a brooch or a necklace, always using wood, Japanese paper string, grass and organic materials. I did a workshop with Oxfordshire Basketmakers and the following year artist Jackie Sweet sent me a tiny basketware reindeer as a gift – it comes out every Christmas. I am a huge admirer of Isamu Noguchi, so if I could buy myself anything this year, it would be a piece of his work.

woollen wallpiece by Melissa Avila’s brand M.A

Christopher Myers, textile artist and illustrator

I tend to look towards my maker friends, such as Dina Nur Satti. Her work feels old and epic but also intimate and contemporary. Dikkéni is a collective of Lebanese designers and makers: I like it when people make the connection between the beautiful things they make and the histories and happenings of a place. In terms of books, The Afro-American Tradition in the Decorative Arts (1978) by John Michael Vlach is endlessly useful. It shows how the presence of Blackness is woven into the fabric of American craft traditions. I covet work by Melissa Avila, a textile artist from Tijuana in Mexico. Her pieces live between worlds, traditional and contemporary, decorative and fine art, and I’m attracted to work that crosses borders like this.

Stool in scrap wood, Piet Hein Eek

Kiki van Eijk and Joost van Bleiswijk, designers

We live in Eindhoven where the design community is tight so we support each other. We tend to buy from our talented designer friends, including Piet Hein Eek and Studio Rens, and animator Niels Hoebers. Or we visit Kazerne – a hotel with a shop that’s a great source for gifts. For books, we usually let our eyes wander in Motta Art Books, but this year Kiki has just published her own book (Imaginings by Kiki van Eijk, nai010 publishers). The best gift we have ever given each other is a candle holder designed to reflect each of our personalities. During the lockdown we set a table in the garden and made one candle holder per day. Now people are asking us to design one for them. It’s a poetic challenge for a romantic domestic object.

Makers reveal their Christmas wish lists

Read more

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Craft gift ideas from the Artist Support Pledge this Christmas

Meet the Maker: Getting ready for Christmas markets