As Design-Nation’s network grows to include new members, we present designer makers to new audiences at London Craft Week and Eunique in Germany.
Leading craft and design portfolio Design-Nation continues to grow with the addition of great new talent from across the country. In May we welcomed nine more members to our network, joining twelve others selected in January 2018.
New Members
The latest selection announced in May took place in London with nine applicants selected by our independent panel of craft and design industry professionals. Our panel assess excellence and ensure that our membership continues to raise the standard of contemporary craft and design produced in the UK, across quality, creativity and innovation.
The new members include designer makers in textiles, ceramics, jewellery and silverware. They are Atlantic Design Studio – Lou Gillet (jewellery) , Georgia Bosson (textiles) , HCLS Ceramics – Hannah Staniforth, Inner Finn Ceramics – Julie Fewster, Laura Smith (glass) , Lauren Taylor (jewellery) , Lucy Elisabeth (wirework) , Shona Marsh (silverware) and Dominika Kupcova (jewellery), who won our Made Canary Wharf award.
London Craft Week
Design-Nation took part in London Craft Week for the second year running, with a presentation of work entitled ‘ Head, Hand and Heart ’. The exhibiting craftspeople were selected for their ability to inspire, delight and inform through their contemporary craft works, beautifully illustrating John Ruskin’s statement, “ Fine art is that in which the hand, the head, and the heart of man go together ”. Working in partnership with leading rug designer Helen Yardley and Barbara Chandler, design champion, writer and photographer, Design-Nation developed this exhibition to explore the makers’ moments of inspiration; the intricacies of their handmade work; and most importantly posing the question, what is it about the making process which makes their hearts happy? The exhibition was a critical success at London Craft Week, showcasing these talents: rugmakers Angie Parker and Helen Yardley ; textile artists Anna Gravelle, Gizella K Warburton, Jacky Puzey and Ruth Singer ; furniture and marquetry designers Christine Meyer-Eaglestone and Hugh Miller Furniture ; glassblower Clare L Wilson ; and ceramicists Harriet Elkerton and Linda Bloomfield.
We are delighted to now be taking ‘Head, Hand and Heart’ to Germany, as one element of a rich showcase of exhibitors and works devised in the UK at Eunique , Germany’s premier exhibition of contemporary craft and design. The Design-Nation showcase has three distinct and unique elements; promoting the exquisite designs of a total of 28 members of Design-Nation.
Eunique, Germany
Eight makers are showing their work in Design-Nation’s main selling showcase at Eunique with individual stands at the fair. The eight exhibitors travelling to Karlsruhe are artist-engineer Dan Morrison of Blott Works, jeweller Eleanor Kerr-Parton, furniture maker Hugh Miller , lace designer Jayne Childs of J C Middlebrook, ceramicists Katie Lowe and Paula Briggs, glass maker Stuart Akroyd and leather accessory designer Wolfram Lohr. Jayne and Paula are returning to the fair as previous exhibitors but this is a new venture for the rest of the group, including Wolfram who was born and grew up in Karlsruhe but has not previously exhibited in his hometown. From this participation of the Design-Nation group at the fair and to cement our new partnership with the organisers, Design-Nation is proud to be the 2018 international partner of Eunique, and will celebrate this prestigious invitation by bringing the exhibition ‘Head, Hand and Heart’ or ‘ Design-Nation: Herz, Hand und Verstand’ in a central special exhibition area at Eunique.
The final aspect of the Design-Nation presentation is a special exhibition of work by our members to celebrate the long connection between great UK design and craftsmanship and the city of Nottingham, which has been creatively twinned with Karlsruhe. A cultural arrangement is in place to explore links between Nottinghamshire based designer makers and their counterparts in Karlsruhe. Design-Nation presents work inspired by or connected to Nottingham by JC Middlebrook*, Janie Knitted Textiles (Jane Withers), Jennie McCall, Jillian Riley Designs, Julie Vernon Mosaics, Kate Bajic Jewellery, Foto Ceramica (Kit Anderson), MOMOKA53 Ltd (Momoka Gomi), Rare Notions by Phiona Richards, Sarah Burton and Stuart Akroyd Contemporary Glass* . (* These makers will be present at Eunique.)