Crafts Magazine – Issue 298: Bolder visions

Spotlighting today’s most exciting makers, ideas and innovations

Our Spring/Summer 2024 edition celebrates creativity as the very essence of life.

About the issue

The Spring/Summer 2024 issue of Crafts is a testament to the vital importance of creative practice in giving us purpose and shaping our collective futures. As the UK hurtles towards a general election, we argue that craft in all its forms is fundamental for the country, while the makers we meet across the magazine – who hail from around the world – show us what it means for them personally.

Our Cape Town-based cover star Igshaan Adams shows us his cloud-like bead sculptures and muses on the redemptive power of beauty. Emma Witter invites us to her London home, where work and life intertwine amid her art pieces made of shells and bones. Friends Bijoy Jain and Chiaki Maki contemplate body, land and their Himalayan weaving workshop. A crop of modern-day thatchers explains why the ancient building technique is enjoying a revival. And woodworker Rio Kobayashi tells us why real life is the best education.

Chila Burman recalls the ephemera found around her dad’s seaside ice cream van and Yinka Shonibare wraps a new body of work in his beloved batik. Jacqueline Poncelet talks candidly about her creative path and Jonathan Baldock takes centre stage. Outi Pieski advocates for soft protest and Rana Begum thinks back to weaving baskets in Bangladesh. A group of makers in the Middle East come together in solidarity amid conflict and upheaval, while others find ways to harness the power of nature.

Elsewhere, the Barbican gets tangled up in textiles, Japan’s mingei movement goes global, and gaming gets the handmade touch. Finally, we lay on a spread of inspiration through our spotlight on food: indulging in the many ways that cooking and craft can enrich each other.

Langauge: English