London Craft Week 2024

From upcycled glass flowers to textile coral sculptures carrie shares her favourite pieces from two of london craft week’s top shows

London Craft Week takes place this year between 13th – 19th May at various venues across the capital. Bringing together over 750 makers, designers, brands and galleries from around the world the festival celebrates the best of British and international craft.

Craftworks

15th – 17th May, Shoreditch Town Hall

I had the opportunity to visit Craftworks, a new show held at Shoreditch Town Hall. The historic venue is hosting a whole host of makers exhibiting their wares, numerous panel talks and a number of workshops.

The show was set over the three very different floors of Shoreditch Town Hall. On the ground floor the Chambers with their large windows and period features, upstairs the garand Assembly space and, my personal favourite, the Ditch – a beautifully untouched maze of basement rooms with exposed bricks and decaying plasterwork.

It’s impossible to mention all of the amazing craftspeople I saw but some highlights for me included Felicity Rowbotham Ceramics, Cruan enamelled copper vessels, Gather Glass and cushion covers made from vintage silk scarves by CLS cushions. It was lovely to catch up with fellow Margate craftsperson Louise Heighes who was exhibiting her exqusite leather artwork, Duncan MacKean who was exhibited some stunning upcycled lighting pieces and I also met Rachel of Tinker and Talluah for the first time and saw their beautiful handmade lampshades in the flesh.

Find out more about Craftworks on their website

Upcycled lighting installation and cinema seats by Duncan McKean and Unseen Icons

Tinker & Tallulah lampshades at London Craft Week — Handmade fringed Lampshades by Tinker & Tallulah

Lighting installation by rock & soar — Sculptural lighting installation by Rock & Soar

Brightly coloured glassware — Colourful glassware by Gather Glass

Blue and white enamelled copper pots — Enamelled Copperware by Cruan

Louis Heighes creating leather artwork — Leatherwork artist Louise Heighes

Cushion covers made from vintage silk scarves by CLS cushions

Colourful ceramics by Felicity Rowbotham

Upcycled purple glass orchids — Upcycled glass orchids by William Harris of Green Grads

Future Icons Selects

16th – 19th May, Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf, London

This is the second year of this show hosted by Future Icons and featuring 70 artists from all over the world working in a wide range of craft disciplines.

Rather like The Ditch at Craftworks, this venue is all about the raw, industrial aesthetic as a backdrop to some beautiful pieces. My absolute favourite pieces was Iridescent Corals, a textile sculpture by Marita Setas Ferro. Beautiful colours and textures of yarn are backlit with soft blue light to create this very appealing and tactile work.

Ramsgate artist Anja Hessler was exhibiting a new piece of mobile sculpture – delicate leaf-like pieces of copper and brass carefully suspended in a fine balance.

Intricately painted thrown ceramics tell stories of importance from the artists life in Carolyn Tripp’s work. I love the red, white and blue colour scheme reminiscent of traditional blue and white cermics.

Find out more about the show on their website.