Power of Making at the V&A

The exhibition is a cabinet of curiosities showing works by both amateurs and leading makers from around the world, presenting a range of skills with imaginative and spectacular results. Exhibits include a life-size crochet bear, a ceramic eye patch, a metal flute, an example of Savile Row tailoring, a section of dry stone wall, handcrafted puppets from the 2009 film ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’, a lion-shaped Ghanaian coffin and new technologies such as 3D printing, and bio implants that aid surgical procedures.

As the title suggests, it is an exhibition about craft. Often “Craft” is associated with connotations of amateurism and a reactionary attachment to time-honoured traditions. However, along with the accompanying essays, this exhibition transforms that understanding of what contemporary craft can be – ingenious, exciting, and relevant to the 21st century.

Daniel Charny, who is curating the exhibition, said “This exhibition will celebrate the importance of traditional and time-honoured ways of making but also highlight the extraordinary innovation taking place around the world. We aim to show how the act of making in its various forms, from human expression to practical problem solving, unites us globally. We hope the exhibition will inspire people and cause them to more thoughtfully consider the role of making in their lives, in their society, in commerce and in education.”