When a collector couple noted that every inch of their walls was covered in paintings, the London gallerist Cynthia Corbett saw an overlooked opportunity. She suggested acquiring three handcrafted sconces by Matt Smith, made with 18th-century female figurines reworked with Parian black porcelain.
“They’ll say, ‘My walls are full,’ and a lot of my best collectors started that way,” said Corbett. “They opened their eyes to that form, that genre.” Craft works have long found a place in collectors’ homes and hearts. Inspired by generations of craftsmanship and often derived from ancestral techniques, the tactile allure of craft—be it through textiles, ceramics, metalwork, or beadwork—continues to find new audiences. For collectors, exploring contemporary craft can introduce a wealth of new mediums while also providing unique insights into diverse cultural expressions.
Demand for craft works in the art world is underscored by the success of events such as the Collect art fair, which has been staged in London for more than two decades and exclusively shows contemporary craft made within the last five years. Elsewhere, major museum exhibitions and record-breaking sales highlight the prominence of craft and its related mediums. For instance, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2024 exhibition “Weaving Abstraction in Ancient and Modern Art” attracted buzz for textiles, while key auction moments have seen landmark results at the top end of the market such as Lucie Rie’s Footed Bowl (1981) fetching a record-breaking £330,200 ($400,830) at Phillips in 2023.
“We’re seeing recognition of the fact that it is contemporary, it’s museum quality, and it’s the skills from the actual craftspeople that have much more intention; that materiality is part of the piece that you’re collecting. [Craft] is just as important as any other contemporary art or fine art discipline,” said Collect’s director Isobel Dennis.
Here, we speak to expert dealers about what collectors need to know about craft works and how to start collecting.
What are craft works?
Scribble 25-4, 2025
Joo Hyung Park
Siat Gallery
Hidden Nature_(S), 2022
Minyeol Cho
Siat Gallery
The word “craft” casts a wide net: ceramics, glass, lacquer, jewelry, and metalwork, as well as textiles and fiber, wood and paper, and sculptural objects made with repurposed and recycled materials, are all among the works included in the category. These range from handheld objects to large decorative pieces and can also be functional or wearable, like fiber quilts or ceramic dinnerware. Today, artists are also tapping into traditional techniques in contemporary ways.
“Traditionally, craft has been associated with handmaking and functionality, but in the contemporary art context, craft has evolved beyond these conventional boundaries,” said Jeannie H. Lee, founder of Seoul-based Siat Gallery. “It is one of the most intimate and tactile forms of artistic expression, where the artist’s hand and presence are deeply embedded in the work.”
Pocketful of Rainbows, 2019
Melissa Cody
Garth Greenan Gallery
A New Day, 2020
Sanaa Gateja
Afriart Gallery
In many cases, craft employs the medium itself to explore complex themes. For example, fourth-generation Navajo weaver Melissa Cody’s abstract weavings address both the past and present existences of her Indigenous community. She draws colors and patterns from the Germantown sampler—commercially made wool from Pennsylvania used to make the blankets the U.S. government gave the Navajo people when forcefully expelling them from ancestral lands. Meanwhile, artists such as Anne Samat and Sanaa Gateja use manmade waste to create massive sculptural textiles.
“Contemporary craft challenges traditional notions of craftsmanship by incorporating experimental materials, innovative techniques, and interdisciplinary approaches,” said Lee. “Artists are pushing the boundaries of conventional craft media, engaging with new materials and digital fabrication methods while still maintaining the integrity of handcrafting traditions. What makes contemporary craft particularly compelling is its ability to bridge past and present—drawing from heritage techniques while reinterpreting them through a modern lens, ultimately connecting the collector and the maker in a meaningful way.”
Why are craft works popular among art collectors?
Hanging Hypochondria 300, 2021
Klari Reis
Cynthia Corbett Gallery
Primary Rings, 2021
Liz Collins (American)
Fort Makers
Today, craft occupies a prominent role in the art world with mediums such as textiles, ceramics, and glass commonplace at art fairs, galleries, and auctions. A key theme in craft over recent years has been the increased recognition and celebration of women artists, many of whom are gaining representation from prominent galleries and attracting the attention of collectors.
“What’s exciting about craft right now is curators, mostly young women curators, thankfully, who have just graduated from their graduate programs and are now in positions of power and authority in museums,” said San Francisco gallerist Jeffrey Spahn. “Those curators and directors are including those women in shows again, and highlighting the women of contemporary craft like Joyce J. Scott, Kay Sekimachi, and Karen Karnes.”
"Saw Shimi" Art Lounge and Side chair, 1997
John Cederquist
Jeffrey Spahn Gallery
Ruth Asawa Unique One-Off Bronze Sculpture, 1995
Ruth Asawa
Jeffrey Spahn Gallery
This is bolstered by attention from institutions and auction houses. In 2024, major exhibitions like “Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction” at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and “Anni Albers: In Thread and On Paper” at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, highlighted the depth and diversity of fiber-based craft works. On the secondary market, notable sales include Olga de Amaral’s golden textile Pueblo X (2013), which commanded $698,500 at Sotheby’s in May 2024, and Igshaan Adams’s mixed-media textile Study for Kicking Dust (2020), which sold for $100,800 at Christie’s in March 2024.
The demand is similarly strong in the ceramics market. Along with Rie, artists such as Hans Coper and Bernard Leach have experienced notable price increases. One key drive to this trend, according to Dennis of Collect fair, is growing collector interest in the provenance of a work, something inherent in the tactile creation of craft.
“People want to know the provenance,” she said. “People want to know about how things are made. The handmade is valued hugely. People are rejecting mass production and all that goes with it, particularly in the fashion industry. The real appreciation is wanting to support that maker who actually has those skills, can make something absolutely extraordinary, and surprise somebody is really valued.”
Why collect craft works?
Collecting craft can enable collectors to acquire different kinds of works that balance functionality with meaning. “Craft describes artworks that build upon age-old making traditions,” said Nana Spears, co-founder of Fort Makers in Brooklyn. “Society has used many of these types of works for eons of years. For instance, Minjae Kim plays on the ancient tradition of chair making when he sculpts his seats out of wood.”
Collecting craft highlights how functional objects, often viewed as mundane and overlooked, can embody the same emotional or historical importance as paintings. This practice raises the status of everyday items. “A piece of porcelain could have such a story about it, such a narrative,” said Corbett. “It’s more about educating that just because it’s a pot, for example, it doesn’t mean that that pot doesn’t have layers and layers of meaning and history, telling a story for the artist.”
Collecting contemporary craft also offers an opportunity to engage artists from underrepresented backgrounds in interesting ways. “Craft work tends to champion a lot of the underdogs,” said Spahn. “There are more women in the crafts. There are more people of color in crafts. There are more LGBTQ+ artists in the crafts. There are more disabled artists in the crafts.”
How do I start collecting craft works?
Perhaps the best way to start collecting craft is to examine the spaces in your house where you need artwork. “In the case of contemporary craft, there is a bit more of a logistical consideration,” noted Corbett.
Some of the best places to discover craft works are at galleries or through curated collections on Artsy. Once you begin to identify the types of works that catch your eye and align with your living space, you can refine your search by medium, size, and other specifics. From there, it’s recommended to follow your interests as they develop organically.
“I have the impression that no one consciously starts a design collection by collecting design or contemporary craft; it is rather a spontaneous development because they are looking for beautiful things for everyday life,” said Geer Pouls, founder of German gallery Brutto Gusto. “If you do that for a while, a collection will suddenly appear that does not have to consist only of the big names as one finds in galleries and fairs; it only becomes really exciting when unruly objects, which one even finds at flea markets, are added.”
Here are five tips on how to begin building a meaningful collection of craft works:
- Follow craft artists and galleries on Artsy. Download the Artsy app and set up an account to keep track of artists and galleries globally. Explore new works on Artsy and follow your preferred galleries and artists to receive updates whenever they post new work.
- Start small. Purchasing smaller craft works can provide an easy and affordable entry point into art collecting. “You can maybe start a collection very young, very affordably, and very accessibly, then build up with that,” said Corbett. “That’s one of the things that is very important for young collectors to look at the accessibility of this.”
Stella, 2024
Ritsue Mishima
Brutto Gusto
Chess Table and Set, 2024
Minjae Kim
Fort Makers
- Consider your allotted space. Collecting craft requires a better understanding of where you intend to place the item. “Since most craft doesn’t hang on a wall, it’s important to consider how you will display it,” said Spears. “I have a ton of ceramic vases and now need to design a shelving unit to show them off. Display is such a crucial part of making art beautiful and exciting. Other considerations are to find craft works that tell rich stories and to buy crafts when you travel.”
- Take the time to understand the artist and their practice. Craft works are often woven with distinct themes and stories, so it can be rewarding to take the time to learn more about the artist. “Once you identify works that captivate you, delve deeper into the artist’s creative process, philosophy, and intent behind their work,” said Lee. “Knowing the narrative behind a piece enriches the collecting experience and adds depth to your collection. Craft is not just about the final object—it is about the journey of making and the dialogue between the artist and their medium.”
- Connect with emerging artists. Contemporary craft artists are increasingly recognized among fine art programs and residencies. If you are looking to support new artists, “go to art school graduate program shows and start following artists at the beginning of their careers,” said Spears. “It’s so interesting to follow in real time the arc of an artist’s career.”
from Artsy News https://ift.tt/6ns7FLb
No comments:
Post a Comment