Now in its fourth year, London Craft Week showcases exceptional British and international craftsmanship. From the 9 – 13 of May, spaces across Shoreditch Design Triangle will open their doors and present a variety of events, from workshops to talks to displays.
Explore our guide to Craft Week in East London.
ACE HOTEL LONDON
BEAMS & CO presents Couture Sellier with Laperruque. Founded in 2016, Laperruque develops artisanal, minimal and timeless leather goods with a focus on functionality and refined details. For London Craft Week, Laperruque’s founders share the secrets of their high-end finishings: raw edge burnishing, traditional hand-stitching (also called ‘couture sellier’) and gold film hot-stamping. Guests can practise these techniques on an unfinished cardholder and take home a unique piece of craftsmanship.
SCP
SCP has always walked the line between craft and design. They continue to utilise British craft based skills in many of the products they create – including traditionally made upholstery pieces from Norfolk, terracotta tableware from Suffolk, ceramics from Stoke-on-Trent and textiles from Yorkshire.
For London Craft Week, SCP invited designer and ceramicist Reiko Kaneko to give an insight into her working practice. Kaneko is presenting an eclectic mix of glazed tiles and tests, pieces of Kintsugi (the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with powdered precious metals) and Ikebana style flower arranging.
SANS PERE
Rhapsody on Wheels is a travelling exhibition and collaboration between textile artist Aurora Pettinari York and architect Yaojen Chuang of Atelier Y A O, inspired by Greco-Roman mythology. Thanks to a display structure on wheels, the exhibition spans three venues during London Craft Week, including Sans Pere.
The itinerant nature of the installation, a series of embroidered roundels, references classical Greek rhapsodes: professional performers of epic poetry who travelled from town to town and whose craft consisted in stitching together poems based on well-known myths.
MODERN SOCIETY
As part of a larger collaboration, Modern Society hosts fine artist Venetia Berry for a ceramic painting workshop. Guests can learn sketching techniques and create one-of-a-kind pieces on site. This partnership sees Brixton-based Venetia unveil an exclusive new range of ceramics – a first in this medium for the artist – accompanied by an in-store exhibition of the artist’s works.
BEN DAY
Local jeweller Ben Day will host a talk about the creative process involved in the design and creation of his latest collection of statement jewellery.
ALFIE DOUGLAS
Visit the Alfie Douglas workshop and studio to see the making of their Travel Wallet. Following each step of the process, from the tanning, cutting and stitching, to the finished product. Their carefully curated range of British-made leather products are designed to appeal to wide-ranging audiences and are sold throughout the world.
If you’re looking for more Craft Week events to fill your day with, there are plenty of events within walking distance of the Shoreditch Design Triangle, take a look at the list below:
Barbican Centre
Bill Amberg at the Leathersellers Hall
Cockpit Arts at the Leathersellers Hall
Carpenters’ Hall
Dovecot Studios at Clothworkers Livery Company
Experimental Perfume Club
Jo Cope at YKK Showroom
The Kyoto Prefecture Government at Nobu Hotel Shoreditch
Workshops at The Prince’s Foundation
Sarabande: The Lee Alexander McQueen Foundation
Simmons & Simmons LLP
