RESELFRIDGES: London Craft Week at Selfridges
Exhibition: Monday 13th to Saturday 18th May 2024, 10am –10pm, and Sunday 19th May 2024, 11.30am – 6pm at Selfridges Accessories Hall, Ground Floor, 400 Oxford Street, London, W1A 1AB
This year at the London Craft Week space at RESELFRIDGES on the ground floor of Selfridges department store, Anabela Chan Joaillerie we will be showcasing its tales from trash to treasures: creations crafted in recycled aluminium from soda cans. There will be the the opportunity to meet both the designer and the wider Anabela Chan Joaillerie team, as well as a behind the scenes look at how these creations come to life.
Through a process of trial and error, the recycled aluminium creations are a project two-and-a-half-years in the making. With an alchemy of precious natural and man-made materials, Anabela combines elegant sculptural forms with dream-like romanticism and thought provoking narratives. Every story begins by hand-carving the designs in wax before casting in parts, then assembling, polishing and engraving in meticulous detail. Every stone is carefully selected for its brilliance and colour, then cut, faceted, polished and set painstakingly by hand using traditional artisan techniques.
The result is a capsule collection of bold, dramatic and sculptural bloom jewellery and a new medium in aluminium that allows the designer to create a different language on a grander scale that is more poignant, unfamiliar and confident.
Weaving Excellence: Celebrating Scottish Heritage with Araminta Campbell
Talk: Wednesday 15th May 2024, 12.30pm – 2.30pm at The Scottish Room, Mount St. Restaurant, 41–42 Mount Street W1K 2RX
What is that makes a handwoven heirloom not only a messenger of the stories of those who wore it, but also a custodian of ancient values and centuries-old expertise?
Araminta Campbell invites visitors to immerse themselves in the extraordinary work of Scottish handweavers and artisan mills with a series of events to raise awareness on how this collective heritage should be cherished and safeguarded.
A Walking Tour Through Mayfair Celebrating Craft
Guided Tour: Saturday 18th May 2024, 10am – 3pm beginning at Brown's Hotel, 33 Albemarle Street W1S 4BP
Art critic and Artistic Director of Maddox Gallery Maeve Doyle leads an art walk through Mayfair, beginning and ending at Brown’s Hotel. Maeve reveals the diverse stories of our creative capital, with visits to hidden workshops, independent makers, heritage craftspeople and jewel-like shops, alongside famous artists and contemporary galleries. In the past, craft was considered to be a lesser form of art than painting and sculpture, so this walk duly celebrates the revival of the art of craft in recent years.
The art walk starts at Brown’s Hotel in the comfort of The Drawing Room, where Maeve sets the scene over coffee and pastries before taking guests on a walking tour of Mayfair. The experience culminates in the contemporary British surrounds of Charlie’s restaurant, where budding art connoisseurs can debrief on the walk over a two-course lunch.
A Pop-up Championing Colour and Design
Open House: Monday 13th – Friday 17th May 2024, 9.30am – 5.30pm; Saturday 18th May 2024, 10am – 5pm at Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, 194 Ebury Street SW1W 8UP
Goldfinger’s sustainably crafted wood furniture is on display at Edward Bulmer Natural Paint in Pimlico. The pop-up is a natural alliance of two purpose-led brands that celebrate British craft, materials and ingenuity.
Edward Bulmer Natural Paints’ pioneering plant-based paint technology sets a new standard for transparency and responsibility in the paint industry. A certified B-Corp, they are ‘Lifting the Lid’ in leading a transformation across the design industry towards natural paints that don’t cost the earth.
Goldfinger designs and crafts high end furniture for homes, hotels, restaurants, offices and wellness centres across the UK. Sourcing quality British wood that’s been felled due to natural causes or urban development, Goldfinger transforms this valuable local resource into fine designs for their own collection as well as bespoke furniture for celebrated interior designers and architects. Goldfinger also reinvests profits back into its Goldfinger Academy, its community impact arm which creates hands-on woodworking opportunities for youth to inspire the next generation of British makers.
> Walpole Head of Content, Nick Carvell, will hosting a London Craft Week Lates panel talk with Edward Bulmer, Founder of Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, and Marie Carlisle, CEO & Co-Founder of Goldfinger at the Ebury Street shop from 4 to 5pm on Wednesday 15th May, before late night opening starts at 5.30pm. Drinks will be provided by Juke's Cordialities, one of the current Walpole Brands of Tomorrow. Enquire about this event via email.
Behind-the-Scenes Heritage Perfumery Tour and Perfume-Blending Demonstration
Tour: Wednesday 15th May 2024, 12pm – 1pm at Floris, 89 Jermyn Street SW1Y 6JH
A special opportunity to visit the Floris Perfumery and Museum, through the back of the flagship boutique and former family home. View the archives, spanning almost 300 years of perfume making, and enjoy a perfume-blending demonstration while smelling accords selected for the creation of the recently launched ‘Wilde’, based on the personal fragrance made for Oscar Wilde.
Fortnum & Mason Hosts Create Academy
Workshop: Monday 13th – Friday 17th May 2024, 12pm – 2pm at Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly W1A 1ER
Fortnum & Mason is delighted to be partnering with Create Academy to present a week of workshops themed around creating beautiful handmade tablescapes. The workshops below are being held at various times throughout the week and include woodblock printing, quilted placemat making, natural dyeing and dried flower arranging.
Inspired by their ongoing commitment to craft in all its forms, Fortnum’s is extremely proud to introduce Fortnum & Makers, an exhibition at their Piccadilly store open throughout the week. Featuring some of Britain’s most accomplished creators and makers, all keeping a craft tradition alive through their work, the exhibition showcases craftspeople who make beautiful things to bring joy. The makers include talented ceramicists Izzy Letty, Alice Funge, Jon Williams, Felicity Jones, Emma Lacey and Deborah Brett, as well as woodworkers Kim Jordan and Tim Plunkett, textile artist Natasha Hulse and sign-writer byUMBERTO.
Fashion and the Female Tailors of Savile Row
Talk: Tuesday 14th May 2024, 6.30pm – 8pm at Benjamin West Lecture Theatre, Royal Academy of Arts, 6 Burlington Gardens W1S 3ET
Join the British Fashion Council, The Pollen Estate and leading Savile Row female tailors Ruby Slevin and Kathryn Sargent for a discussion on the rise of bespoke and made-to-measure clothing in the sustainable-fashion movement, as people consider what they are wearing down to the cloth, cut and the longevity of garments.
Secret Ceramics
Exhibition: Wednesday 15th May – Sunday 19th May 2024, 10am – 5pm at SoShiro, 23 Welbeck Street W1G 8DZ
In partnership with FiredUp4, London Craft Week presents Secret Ceramics. This new charitable initiative showcases more than 100 single-stem vessels created by leading artists and emerging talent — but, as the name suggests, contributors to the exhibition remain anonymous until after a piece is sold.
All works are sold at a fixed price of £300, with buyers encouraged to make an additional voluntary donation. Collectors can look to identify works by established artists such as Kate Malone, Hitomi Hisono, Aneta Regel, Frances Priest, Lucille Lewin and Luke Fuller through their signature styles, but also acquire work by talented newcomers whose work demands our attention through its beauty alone. Cultural influencers such as Zandra Rhodes, Kit Kemp and Nina Campbell are also making new works for the sale.
The project supports the opening of a new FiredUp4 ceramic studio in White City, enabling young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to experience the power of working with clay.
The Time is Always Now: Meet the Makers
Exhibition: Monday 13th May 2024 – Tuesday 16th May 2024, 10.30am – 6pm; Friday 17th May – Saturday 18th May 2024, 10.30am – 9pm; Sunday 19th May 2024, 10.30am – 6pm at National Portrait Gallery Shop, St Martin’s Place WC2H 0HE
Discover the work of makers selected for the National Portrait Gallery Shop to complement the Gallery’s latest exhibition, ‘The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure’. Reflecting a diverse maker community, items range from handmade ceramics and homeware to accessories and jewellery.
Visit the Gallery Shop throughout London Craft Week for a display going into the details of the makers’ stories and processes. Drop-in ‘meet the maker’ sessions run throughout the week, please see below for timings.
Makers include leather worker Kingsley Walters, ceramicists Ronaldo Wiltshire and Bisila Noha, jeweller Umutoni, candlemaker Goods Lifestyle Store, textile artist Amechi Mandi and chocolatier Lucocoa Chocolate.
Drop into the shop throughout the week where a different maker will be in the shop each day.
Monday 13th May, 3.30pm – 5.30pm – Bisila Noha
Tuesday 14th May, 3.30pm – 5.30pm – Amechi Mandi
Wednesday 15th May, 3.30pm – 5.30pm – Goods Lifestyle Store
Thursday 16th May, 3.30pm – 5.30pm – Lucocoa Chocolate
Friday 17th May, 3.30pm – 5.30pm – Umutoni
Friday 17th May, 6.30pm – 8.30pm – Ronaldo Wiltshire, Motions of Clay
Saturday 18th May, 3.30pm – 5.30pm – Kingsley Walters
Botanical Tin Embossing Workshop with Meg Fatharly
Workshop: Wednesday 15th May 2024, 11am – 1.30pm, 2.30pm – 5pm; Thursday 16th May 2024, 11am – 1.30pm, 2.30pm – 5pm at Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road SW7 5BD
Embark on a journey through the lush botanical wonders of the Natural History Museum in our Botanical Tin Embossing Workshop. In this two-hour session, participants will delve into the mesmerising world of tin embossing while drawing inspiration from nature’s intricate beauty.
From vibrant flowers to elegant leaves, each creation will reflect the essence of botanical artistry. With pencils in hand and creativity ablaze, participants will sketch their chosen botanical designs, infusing them with life and vitality. As the workshop progresses, tin sheets will transform into stunning hanging decorations, ready to adorn any space with their enchanting whimsical marks.
Guided by Printmaker and Collage artist Meg Fatharly, you will master the art of embossing through sculpting delicate botanical motifs onto metal sheets.
You will be joined by a botanical expert from the museum to teach you about the intricacies of fauna and flora and to help inspire and contextualise your crafting.
Join the Natural History Museum for a crafting exploration and botanical discovery, where imagination will blossom as you explore nature’s beauty.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Celebrates London Craft Week
Open house: Monday 13th May – Thursday 17th May 2024, 9am – 6pm at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, 38 Berkeley Street W1J 8HD
Craftsmanship lies at the very heart of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, with creativity nurtured at every turn. For this year’s event, Rolls-Royce’s ‘Bespoke Collective’ of talented artisans and designers have created a collection of highly Bespoke works of craftsmanship. These exquisite examples are on display in the marque’s flagship residence in the heart of Mayfair.
Sabina Savage Book Launch at The Royal Academy of Arts
Tour: Thursday 16th May 2024, 11am – 12pm, 2pm – 3pm | Drinks Reception: Thursday 16th May, 4pm – 6pm at The Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly W1J 0BD
A Savage Kingdom is the first publication on artist and designer Sabina Savage’s eponymous luxury brand, marking its tenth anniversary. Sabina creates her own visual world informed by nature, myth and history in exquisite hand-drawn illustrations printed on silk and cashmere scarves. A Savage Kingdom explores the fascinating narratives behind some of her most successful drawings to date, meandering across continents and diving headfirst into the depths of legends.
Grouped by collections, the book guides readers through the details and symbolism contained within each design, presenting large-scale images of the pencil drawings and full-colour prints of the scarves. Sabina weaves in stories of the almost life-sized wooden semi-automaton tiger of Tipu Sultan, the 18th century ruler of Mysore in South India; Victorian zoological and botanical illustrators who travelled across the world in the hope of discovering new species; Japanese Noh theatre from the Edo period; and the royal beasts, including ostriches, elephants and grizzly and polar bears, who were housed at the Tower of London’s Menagerie from the 1200s, to name a few. She does not shy from the brutality of nature or her source material, which cast a shadow of unease over many of her works.
Writer Zoë Lescaze introduces the book, covering Sabina’s development as an artist and the tensions between humans and other animals at play in her designs. A Savage Kingdom is for devotees of the brand and those new to it alike, who are interested in drawing, craftsmanship and fantastic tales.
This all-day event incorporates two presentation tours, detailing the hand-laboured, creative process behind Sabina’s designs. She guides visitors on a walk-through of the presentation rooms, exploring her sources of inspiration, unpicking her intricate illustrations and discovering the final, full-colour conclusions of her artworks. The tours and presentation are followed by an early evening drinks reception for public and press.
The Art of Lalique: Contemporary Fine Art Collaborations and New Forms of Creative Expression
Exhibition: Monday 13th May, 12pm – 8pm, Tuesday 14th May to Sunday 19th May, 8.30am to 8pm
Talk and Drinks: Tuesday 14th May, 6.30pm to 7.30pm in Le Magritte Bar at The Beaumont, Brown Hart Gardens, Mayfair, London W1K 6TF
Each year, London Craft Week promotes the work of the best craftspeople with a range of workshops, demonstrations and displays, and The Beaumont is proud to participate and provide a platform for exceptional craftsmanship for the seventh year running.
The Beaumont invites you to visit its Lobby and Grand Hallway to view an exhibition of remarkable pieces by Lalique, the iconic French crystal house founded in 1888 by renowned avant-garde artist René Lalique, and the crown jewel of France's crystal glass houses.
Craft in Context: How Landscape and Identity Inspire Scottish Craft
Talk: Wednesday 15th May 2024, 10am – 11.30am, 3pm – 4.30pm in The Scottish Room at Mount St. Restaurant & Rooms, 41–43 Mount Street W1K 2RX
Join the Fife Arms as they host a panel discussion exploring the themes of nature and place in Scottish craft.
Moderated by Hugo Macdonald of Bard, a shop that celebrates the best of Scottish craft, the event brings together three talented makers who each have a deep connection with the landscape. Textile designer Araminta Campbell created the Fife Arms tartan and tweed, using the colours of the surrounding scenery to create designs that reflect the history of these uniquely Scottish patterns and have a profound sense of place. Horn carver Gareth Guy of McLean of Braemar uses antlers collected from Highland estates to create his beautiful, collectable pieces. Deer cast their antlers every spring — growing new ones by late summer — making horn a fundamentally sustainable material. Accessories designer Iseabal Hendry creates accessories from woven leatherwork that are the result of a coming together of her environmental values, a knowledge of traditional techniques and materials and the Highland landscape that surrounds her.
The focus of their conversation is the Scottish landscape through the changing seasons — how it inspires and informs their craft — as well as the challenges and pleasure to be had in harnessing the bounty of nature without damaging or diminishing it. At its heart, the discussion is a celebration of Scotland and the creativity and artistry that it inspires.
The discussion lasts for one hour, followed by an audience Q&A and individual demonstrations and conversations with the makers.
