The craft edit: 12 exhibitions to catch at the London Design Festival

14 September 2021

Our pick of the must-see shows championing making

14 September 2021

Faye Toogood's 'Sketchbook' printed leather works will be on show at Bill Amberg Studio's exhibition of modern leatherwork. Photo: courtesy of Bill Amberg Studio

This year’s London Design Festival returns (in person!) on 18 September, bringing with it a rich mix of events and exhibitions across 10 designated districts. From a showcase exploring the politics of furniture to exhibitions intended to spread joy – and even contribute to charitable causes – here are 12 must-see events that foreground craft skills and the making processes.

A Portrait of Place at Holkham Hall

Earlier this year, The New Craftsmen invited five makers to take part in a residency at the historic Holkham Hall on the north Norfolk coast. Alfred Newall, James Rigler, Arjan Van Dal, Laura Carlin and Mac Collins took inspiration from its surroundings, as well as the house's past and present inhabitants, to create lighting, mirrors, decorative objects and furniture – set to go on show in Mayfair.

18 to 25 September at The New Craftsmen showroom, Mayfair

Against the Grain

Fels and Jan Hendzel Studio will co-curate a space in Peckham, celebrating the journey from raw material to the finished piece. Included will be pieces by makers and designers such as Dirk van der Kooij, Hot Wire Extensions, Marco Campardo and Studio Furthermore.

22 to 26 September at Copeland Gallery, Peckham

Work by Jan Hendzel will feature in a group show named 'Against The Grain'. Photo: courtesy of Jan Hendzel Studio

An Act of Making

Modern Art Hire (M.A.H) will showcase works by artists that express the making process within their work. Objects have been coiled, carved, woven, painted and sculpted by hand. The show will coexist alongside that pieces by design agency Pearson Lloyd, as a way of creating a 'cross-pollination' of fine art, industrial design and architecture.

18 to 26 September at Pearson Lloyd, Shoreditch

Maker's Eye: Stories of Craft

The first exhibition in the new Crafts Council Gallery, Maker's Eye: Stories of craft celebrates the breadth, diversity and qualities of craft, and includes a rich selection of objects made in the UK over the course of the last 50 years. This exhibition was curated with 13 makers, who were each asked to select up to 15 objects from the Crafts Council Collection in response to the question: 'what does craft look like and mean to you?' Meanwhile, Dr Christine Checinska was invited to consider what was missing. Her selection of works by contemporary makers plays tribute to the founding ethos of the collection – to document innovative practice by emerging makers.

Until 9 October at the Crafts Council Gallery, Islington

Exhibition view of Maker's Eye at the Crafts Council Gallery

Bouroullec Père

Possibly one of the more niche shows taking place during London Design Festival, Bouroullec Père features the work the father of the famous French design duo, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. After retiring as a social worker, Gabriel habitually carved spoons in his wood workshop in Brittany. His spoons will be available to buy, with proceeds going to Emmaus, a charity that supports people to find their way out of homelessness.

20 to 24 September at Jasper Morrison Shop, Shoreditch

Come Together

In Islington, architect Sam Jacob will create an installation that explores the social politics of furniture – with chairs found on the streets nearby bound into new configurations to recall 17th-century love seats.

18 to 26 September, Islington Square, Islington

One of the furniture experiments that will be on show at Sam Jacob Studio's 'Come Together' exhibition. Photo: courtesy of Sam Jacob Studio

An Exploration of Modern Leatherwork

In the Park Royal Design District, Bill Amberg Studio's studio is a veritable temple to leather art, showcasing his own works, as well as his collection of digitally printed leather pieces by designers such as Faye Toogood and Yinka Ilori. Visitors can tour the workshop to see the leatherworkers in action.

26 to 27 September at Bill Amberg Studio, Park Royal

Joy

Simply put, SEEDS gallery's Brompton show presents works that make us feel better, through celebrating colour, playfulness, unexpected elements and messages of happiness – spreading the message that 'the future is joyful.'

18 to 26 September at Gallery 8, Cromwell Place, Brompton

Neon Table Lamp by Jochen Holz will be presented by SEEDS gallery at its 'Joy' exhibition. Photo: courtesy of SEEDS

Makers' Market

Inside the Royal Exchange, the Makers’ Market will see a host of design-led brands and makers in residence selling their goods – from glassware, furniture and fabrics to woven jewellery, leather goods and bags created from repurposed plastic.

20 to 24 September at Royal Exchange, Bank

Discovered – AHEC, Wallpaper*, The Design Museum and Benchmark

Selected from Wallpaper magazine's annual Graduate Directories, 20 designers from 16 countries will participate in this collaborative project, creating pieces that show the connections we have to our everyday objects, using sustainably sourced wood provided by the American Hardwood Export Company.

18 to 26 September at the Design Museum, Kensington

'Presences' by Isabelle Baudraz, on show at the Design Museum's 'Discovered' exhibition. Photo: courtesy of Design Museum

Of Cuts

Gareth Neal is on a mission to reduce waste wood within the timber industry. His two new collections, on show as part of the Shoreditch Design Triangle, make use of off-cuts from a singular timber plank and four discarded hefty timber lumps, which Neal acquired from his local sawmill.

18 to 26 September at Folk, Shoreditch

Precious Waste – PriestmanGoode and the RCA

Just as it felt as though the conversation around single-use plastics was gaining traction, the pandemic prompted the world around us to become swathed in it for the purpose of hygiene. Responding to the increasing climate emergency, this show presents the work of 11 students from the Royal College of Art who were briefed by PriestmanGoode design studio to use single-use plastic waste to create new materials. Polystyrene has been transformed into new surfaces, while fruit nets are used as a woven material.

18 to 26 September, online

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13 craft exhibitions to see in the UK this September
- Exhibitions

13 craft exhibitions to see in the UK this September