Journal

I grew up in the house I live in now. We moved here when I was 6. My parents are passionate about modern design – clean lines, pure forms, white walls – and this had a big influence on me. Crafts were also held in high regard by my parents and grandparents, and everyone was always making things really beautifully.

This new body of work was created to celebrate the skill, dexterity and the creative problem solving of people who make things, recognising the value of clever hands in an increasingly digital and cerebral age.Concerned about the position of making in the hierarchy of skills we value as a society and how this is exacerbated by the decline of making in schools, Emily has made a series of portraits of contemporary makers to reflect how proud she is to be a member of this creative community.

All pieces are for sale, please enquire 

Back at the beginning of 2017 I conceived of an idea to make a series of portraits of makers through the tools they use, this project came to be called the Value of Making.  My aim was celebrate people who make things; a constructive retort to my general feeling that society doesn't value making highly enough. I chose seven contemporary makers whose work I admire because of their design aesthetic, making skill and materiality; across a broad range of disciplines.

Over the last few weeks I have written in no particular order about all the makers I have depicted. Next week I will be presenting all my maker portraits at Collect Open 2018.

I met Sarah over twenty years ago when we both had studios in Clerkenwell, we weren’t in the same building but our paths would cross. 

I did ask Eleanor if she minded being represented as a calculator but she assured me it really is a vital tool.

It was pouring with rain when I arrived at Sebastian Cox’s workshop, down beside the river at Woolwich. When I came inside it was so inspiring to find such a hive of activity, Sebastian has several workshops and a very young looking team of Craftsmen and Designer Makers.

Ane Christensen was the first maker I approached to be part of this project. I went to visit her at her Hackney Studio back in August 2017. Ane describes herself as a Metalworker she makes stunningly beautiful geometric sculptural forms - pure, yet complex. I remember coming away from Ane's studio full of enthusiasm for my project 'The Value of Making' 

When I enquired if she had a favourite tool; without hesitation she jumped up to find a nose shaped wooden ‘rib’ that she uses when throwing her pots. 

Michael Ruh works not far from my home in South East London but I'd never been to his studio or met him prior to embarking on this project. Ruh's glass is exquisite in its simplicity; I love the utility of it and the sweet colours.