CRAFT!

Throughout history craft practices have had changing roles in our societies. Where craft was once the only and existential form of making, one through which we investigated the potentials of materials around us, their uses and abilities, we now find the role of craft is to offer valuable insights into our connection to each other, histories and the environment.

Craft in itself has become a tool for communication and critical reflection. In a world in continuous and escalating crisis with intangible threads that countlessly populate our increasingly digital and fast-paced lives, craft does not offer a romantic getaway fantasy for a simple and idyllic life. The work of an artist with a material-based practice is a slow, time-consuming studio process of preparing raw materials and forming them into visual expressions of our humanity. Our processes rely on industrial manufacturing, mining, chemicals and raw materials produced by earth’s history. Our materials position us within the continuum of the shared history of our planet and all its existent lifeforms before, during and after our own short moment of being alive. The work we see in the exhibition grapples with questions of history, memory, identity and future imaginaries. The degree projects take on a world in crisis and conflict from different perspectives; some foreground disparities and injustices through critical reflection while others address the importance of finding joy, pride and play in the chaos of our existence. Often the students use their personal perspectives on their identities to investigate how we relate to culture and society. Through material-based practices, 21 graduating students from the Master’s Programme in CRAFT! explore different aspects of how to use their materials of metals, textiles, glass and ceramic to materialise and make visible the individual stories that create the tapestry of a vibrant and diverse society. The stories told in these degree projects inspire resilience and awareness, grounding us in the moments of reflection that invite us to linger.

Anna Mlasowsky
Professor in CRAFT! Specialising in Ceramics and Glass