Craft books to gift this Christmas
7 December 2021
We've looked back over the books released this year and picked out some of our favourite titles, to help you buy the perfect gift this festive season. Subscribe to Crafts magazine for a round-up of the top new books in each issue.
Kintsugi: The Poetic Mend
Kintsugi: The Poetic Mend
By Bonnie Kemske
Encourage your friends to embrace imperfection with this guide to the Japanese art of kintsugi. Rather than fixing a ceramic object to look brand new, this form of restoration leaves visible gold lines over the cracks, integrating the story of its life into its appearance. The book explores the metaphorical qualities of this craft, its technical aspects and personal stories by practitioners.
Letters to Camondo
Letters to Camondo
By Edmund de Waal
A companion to the potter’s 2010 memoir The Hare with Amber Eyes, this book is a series of 58 imaginary letters to Moïse de Camondo, whose house is now the Musée Nissim de Camondo and to whom De Waal’s relatives, the Ephrussi family, were connected. The artist explores the man’s life, death, home and collections, and both families’ experiences of anti-semitism.
Many Shapes of Clay: A Story of Healing
Many Shapes of Clay: A Story of Healing
By Kenesha Sneed
This illustrated children’s book tells the story of a young girl grieving after a clay object she made with her ceramic artist mother shatters. She learns to cope with loss and slowly heals by making something new out of the remaining pieces. This gentle tale of creativity and renewal is written by an LA-based ceramicist for children aged 4+.
Judy Chicago: In the Making
Judy Chicago: In the Making
By Thomas P Campbell, Judy Chicago, Claudia Schmuckli, Jenni Sorkin
As one of the major names behind the 1970s feminist art movement, Chicago is known for shining a light on women’s contributions to history and subverting traditional female roles around the household and making. The book reveals her working process, research and thinking and accompanies a retrospective in San Francisco.
Contemporary British Ceramics: Beneath the Surface
Contemporary British Ceramics: Beneath the Surface
By Ashley Thorpe
This collector’s perspective on the work of 22 ceramic artists, from Jennifer Lee to Sam Lucas, examines the personal and emotional significance of their work. The lavishly illustrated text seeks to shed light on the vibrant contribution of these practitioners to the field of contemporary art more broadly.
The Radical Potter: Josiah Wedgwood and the Transformation of Britain
The Radical Potter: Josiah Wedgwood and the Transformation of Britain
By Tristram Hunt
The director of the V&A and former MP for Stoke-on-Trent describes Josiah Wedgwood as ‘the Steve Jobs of the 18th century’. This biography explores how he revolutionised the production of ceramics in Britain and paved the way for an era of mass consumption, as well as campaigning for free trade and abolition.
Resilient Stitch: Wellbeing and Connection in Textile Art
Resilient Stitch: Wellbeing and Connection in Textile Art
By Claire Wellesley-Smith
The author looks at the links between textile making and wellbeing, through her own work and various well-known artists. She recommends techniques such as layering, reinforcing and mending, showing how making is a form of thinking and how it can help you find a sense of place.
