A celebration of craftsmanship excellence in London city
As May’s sunny days sent temperatures climbing, London and its Boroughs became the backdrop for a celebration of craftsmanship excellence in the city, courtesy of the London Craft Week (LCW) festival.
Getting up close and personal with craft is always a delight, and with its focus on craft, LCW has become a must-attend fixture on the international creative calendar. It is a week when ateliers, workshops, and places normally closed to the public open their doors to reveal the mastery of hand skills, techniques, and imagination that go into creating breathtakingly beautiful, crafted objects.
This LCW was noticeably bigger than previous editions, spreading out to include more of London beyond the usual Central/SW focus. The event gave locals and visitors greater access to craft displays in their locality through an engaging programme of established and emerging names in the world of craft. There was something for everyone thanks to a diverse range of participants from luxury houses to art colleges to religious buildings offering displays, tours, talks and demonstrations.
As widespread as the event was, it was impossible to see everything, even if you chose to do the full 7-day calendar of events, including the evening ones. Selecting what to see required some planning. For the exhibitions and showcases I visited, LCW was an opportunity for me to meet in person artisans I have interviewed for my various writing commissions including the Homo Faber Guide, an initiative of the Michelangelo Foundation, which was the LCW headline sponsor.
My journey across the city on one of the days took me from Cockpit studios exhibition of leading and next-generation makers to No. 9 Cork Street, where I met furniture designer and artisan, Brodie Neill, then onto The Pimlico Road, popping in and out of the design and interior showrooms and workshops. There, I met ceramicist Isatu Hyde at Jamb, and at Soane Britain viewed a demonstration of paper making using old cotton shirts by The Paper Foundation, one of the last handmade paper makers in Britain.
Woodstrokes Table, Brodie Neill, No. 9 Cork Street, London Craft Week 2025
I am always fascinated by ways in which cultures choose to revitalise their craft heritages as a way of preserving them. So, another day brought visits to the international pavilions, which served as a window into how they are doing this. The Royal Thai Embassy presented an elegant and beautiful display of the Royal family’s efforts to preserve and modernise traditional Thai textile heritage through a range of initiatives, including the Queen and Princess, adapting these textiles into contemporary outfits for Royal engagements.
An installation of indigo in the Chinese Pavilion in Cromwell House led to an introduction and in-depth conversation with shibori textile specialist Yoshiko Wada Morphopoulos. While ‘yAwArAkAi kArA – The Reflecting Skin’, an exhibition by Maud and Mabel gallery, introduced me to the serene and evocative works of Japanese ceramicists Akiko Hirai and Kenta Anza. Tucked away in a back room of the building was the Saudi Pavilion, one of my favourite presentations. With its quiet, atmospheric presence and understated elegance communicated through deep, rich tones of purple and dark green, the installation presented a collection of vibrant, woven objects that together told a beautiful story of weaving and artistry.
The Suadi Pavilion, Cromwell House, London Craft Week 2025
It’s nice to see a celebration of craftsmanship excellence with dedicated events like LCW, giving the talented makers and their exceptional objects a moment in the spotlight, enabling people to see and appreciate the meaning, value and beauty that handmade brings into our lives.
– Tapiwa Matsinde
[Image credits: The images shown belong to Tapiwa Matsinde. If downloaded and used elsewhere, please credit accordingly.] Main image is a ceramic vessel by Kenta Anza, curated by Maude and Mabel Gallery.
