Craft and Culture: London Craft Week, May 13 to 19, spotlights on artisans and unique craft traditions from around the world

London Craft Week, running from May 13 to 19, is celebrating its 10th anniversary and has invited partners worldwide to partake in its annual celebration of exemplary craftsmanship. 

Image from London Craft Week 2024

With a focus on both the lesser-known artisans of local craft traditions and the innovative interpretations of established practices by contemporary makers, LCW honours the unsung heroes while highlighting the evolution within the craft landscape.

Crafting Japan, one of the key highlights of London Craft Week 2024.

Dedicated to offering fresh experiences, the programme showcases crafts from under-represented region from around the world.

This year's lineup includes weaving from Kuwait, and embroidery from Yemen.  Amidst the perennial favourites like Japan and Korea, visitors can delve into a myriad of disciplines and artisans, from meticulously handcrafted baskets to the ancient art of mother-of-pearl inlay and traditional Korean Jogakbo patchwork. 

“It seems like yesterday that The King & Queen launched the first London Craft Week in 2015. Now, in our tenth year, we host over 225,000 visitors, 520 events and 700 artists and makers. Our aims remain the same: to bring alive exceptional craftsmanship from across the UK and around the world by tapping into the energy, diversity and serendipity of our city. In a small way, I hope we have in turn contributed to London’s cultural credentials and reinforced the importance of making.” – LCW Chairman, Guy Salter.

Image courtesy of Meisterstrasse Handmade.

Also the Austrian Pavilion presented by Meisterstrasse Handmade, will open at the Austrian Embassy on Tuesday 14 May is dedicated to Salzkammergut, providing glimpses into one of the most famous rural areas in Austria.  It will host a series of events at 18 Belgrave Square, featuring the rich local craftsmanship from Bad Ischl and the Salzkammergut region, designated as this year's European Capital of Culture. 

From May 14 - 19,  Meisterstrasse Handmade showcases a curated range of craftsmanship.  This year’s mission statement is ‘building bridges between East and West’. Traditional manufacturers and innovative craft businesses from Austria welcome master craftspeople from Germany, the UK, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia, including H.M. Queen of Pahang, Malaysia's Royal Pahang Weave Foundation.

Visitors can explore an array of objects, including mouth-blown glass, crystal chandeliers, perfumes, handmade tiles, wooden tables, table linen, hats and headdresses, traditional porcelain and ceramics, handmade caskets, cushions, handprinted and handwoven fabrics, jewellery and more. The curation is divided into three themes: interior design and architecture; sustainable living; and Austrian hospitality and crafts.

Five remarkable makers from the Bad Ischl and the Salzkammergut region will introduce their craft traditions as well as their approaches to a new future of craftsmanship. 

Cavalier Finn is featuring a roster of international artists during London Craft Week 2024.

Among the highlights, Cavaliero Finn is celebrating 20th anniversary. Visitors can expect to see work by a roster of internationally acclaimed artists including ceramicists Annie Turner, Matthew Chambers, Ashraf Hanna, Ikuko Iwamoto, Akiko Hirai, Frances Priest, Sophie Cook, Mimi Joung, Mizuyo Yamashita, Björk Haraldsdóttir, Sarah Purvey and Nicholas Lees; metal sculptors Cecilia Moore, Juliette Bigley, Simon Gaiger and Helen Carnac; textile artists Sara Brennan, Caron Penny, Katharine Swailes and Isabel Fletcher; wood sculptor Robert George; and work by a number of painters whose paintings are exhibited in dialogue with the craft works.