Meet the international duos bringing diverse cultural influences to their crafts

When craftspeople from different countries and cultures collaborate, the results are often surprising and inspiring, offering new ways to evolve and safeguard traditional crafts. Looking to foster international exchange and sharing craft knowledge between different cultures, the selection jury looked for duos who represented different nationalities and cultures. Below we meet some of the multi-cultural duos, from an Italian bookbinder paired with an aspiring Japanese bookbinder in London to a Spanish embroiderer passing on a traditional technique from Grenada to her Mexican fellow.

A lace embroidery technique connecting Spain and Mexico

Encarnación Berrio López & Anastacia Juana Gomez Gonzalez, Embroidery, Spain

Encarnita Berrio grew up in her mother's workshop, where she learned to embroider following the techniques used in Granada's workshops since the 18th century, using drawings on paper, stretchers, needles, and a thimble. The workshop specialises in lace embroidery on tulle and chantilly to make “mantillas", the typical Spanish ceremonial headwear, bridal veils, tunics, and goyescas. Encarnita Berrio is one of the last artisans to master this technique.

In 2022 she had the opportunity to visit Mexico thanks to the City Banamex Foundation for popular arts and crafts. During that visit, a workshop was organized at their beautiful center in Chiapas, where I taught several embroiders, amongst them Anastacia Gómez.

Anastacia was born into a family of artisans in Bochobjó Alto, Mexico, where all the women weaved and embroidered, so threads and textiles were her toys. Thanks to her needlework skills, and speaking the local language of tsotsil as well as British, she got a job in one of the most reputed textile museums of maya cultures, Centro de Textiles del Mundo Maya. In 2022, she had the opportunity to learn the Mantilla Granadina embroidery technique with Encarnita when she travelled to Mexico to give special masterclasses. “Mantillas have been part of Spain and Mexico’s shared cultural artisanship for centuries, and their fine but extremely laborious manufacture is an endangered craft in Spain. In my country, where we understand and use these embroideries, many women still have the time and desire to make them,” says Anastacia.

Aware of the difficulties of her craftsmanship, and its cultural and historical value, Encarnita has been working actively to communicate her artistic heritage by presenting and showcasing her craft in numerous national and international events. “As I believe in sharing our artisan knowledge and values with those of South America, that are so close to ours, I am convinced we can very much help save and develop this endangered embroidery technique,” says Encarnita. Anastacia resonates with this belief expressing: “I wish to improve and continue learning with her to be able to share it with other artisans from Chiapas. Learning this technique is paramount for me, and for us, the Tzotzil community of Bochobjó Alto.”

Italian and Japanese heritages meet with London’s bookbinding tradition

Manuel Mazzotti & Chihiro Shigemitsu, Bookbinding, United Kingdom

Italian-born Manuel Mazzotti is a bookbinder, designer and trained engineer who creates limited edition books, prints, stationery and installations. Not one to do things by halves, Manuel went to Switzerland to learn from some of the best bookbinders in Europe at the Centro del Bel Libro. He studied the folded, origami-like structures of Hedi Kyle under school director Suzanne Schmollgruber. Then, in 2015, he received a QEST Scholarship to study with two masters, Kathy Abbott and Tracey Rowledge, who specialise in fine binding and gold tooling respectively. Today, his work can be found in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Tate, the British Library, the London College of Fashion and the National Poetry Library. “As a crafts professional, my objective is twofold: to ensure the sustainability and growth of my business and to contribute to the longevity and evolution of bookbinding. Currently, the UK faces a significant challenge in this craft's continuity, primarily due to the scarcity of trained bookbinders,” says Manuel of his incentive to apply for the Fellowship.

Chihiro Shigemitsu came to study at the University of the Arts London from Japan in 2019. She completed her Foundation Diploma at Camberwell College of Arts and later pursued her Bachelor's degree in Graphic and Media Design at London College of Communication. Since her childhood, Chihiro has been influenced by her family's admiration for the crafts, and it was not long till she developed a passion for bookmaking and screen printing at the workshops of the university. Chihiro's work is focused on the human touch, and she aims to bring the modern design process back to a more hands-on approach. “Joining the European network of craftsmanship through the business training will introduce me to a community where I can grow, evolve and learn with other ambitious fellows,” Chihiro says of the masterclass in Venice.

Studying the British heritage and style of bookbindery, Chihiro aims to specialise in the bookbinding of East London, which she sees as “a great opportunity to connect with the community that provides the materials and resources needed for bookbinding.” Speaking of their adopted city Manuel echoes her thoughts saying: “London's stature as a cultural melting pot significantly enriches the work of my studio. By immersing ourselves in a community characterised by diversity and a commitment to artistic excellence, we are empowered to expand the limits of traditional bookbinding. Our projects are imbued with the city's diverse array of stories, styles, and ideas.” Speaking of their diverse homelands, Chihiro declares: “With Manuel being Italian and myself Japanese, our heritages can influence the craft, and combined with my knowledge of printing, can evolve the existing bookbinding methods with the surrounding environment as a starting point.”

homofaber.com

@homofaber

Homo Faber Fellowship is a 7-month sponsored professional integration programme designed for duos of master artisans and craft graduates, proposed by Homo Faber NextGen. The second edition begins for the fellows in September 2024 with a one-month creative and entrepreneurial masterclass taught by ESSEC Business School and Passa Ao Futuro at the International University of Art in Venice. The participating fellows will then spend six months in the workshops of their paired master artisans across Europe. During these months spent in the workshop together, the 23 duos will be challenged to design and handcraft a co-creation inspired by a theme chosen by the programme’s supporting partner Jaeger-LeCoultre. The Fellowship is developed in partnership with local members of the Foundation’s network. homofaber.com

The Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship is a non-profit institution based in Geneva, which champions contemporary craftspeople worldwide with the aim of promoting a more human, inclusive and sustainable future. The Foundation seeks to highlight the connections between craft and the wider arts and the design world. Its mission is to both celebrate and preserve craftsmanship and its diversity of makers, materials and techniques, by increasing craft’s everyday recognition and its viability as a professional path for the next generations. The Foundation presents Homo Faber, a cultural movement centred on creative artisans worldwide. Its signature projects are education programmes for the next generations, an international biennial celebration and an online guide. homofaber.com

michelangelofoundation.org

Supporting partner of Homo Faber Fellowship:

Jaeger-LeCoultre: The Watchmaker of Watchmakers™

Since 1833, driven by an unquenchable thirst for innovation and creativity, and inspired by the peaceful natural surroundings of its home in the Vallée de Joux, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been distinguished by its mastery of complications and the precision of its mechanisms. Known as the Watchmaker of Watchmakers™, the Manufacture has expressed its relentlessly inventive spirit through the creation of more than 1,400 different calibres and the award of more than 430 patents. Harnessing 190 years of accumulated expertise, La Grande Maison’s watchmakers design, produce, finish and ornament the most advanced and precise mechanisms, blending passion with centuries-old savoir-faire, linking the past to the future, timeless but always up with the times. With 180 skills brought together under one roof, the Manufacture creates fine timepieces that combine technical ingenuity with aesthetic beauty and a distinctively understated sophistication.jaeger-lecoultre.com

Institutional partners:

Asociación Contemporanea de Artes y Oficios (ACAO) is an association that promotes both traditional and contemporary Spanish crafts. They seek to protect Spanish craftsmanship, and use it to foster the development of culture, history and art and boost its economic benefits on the environment and tourism industry. Their main targets are to ensure an environment in which Spanish craftspeople can thrive and to aid them in having further commercial reach in Spain and internationally espanaartesana.com

The B&M Theocharakis Foundation for the Fine Arts and Music aims to encourage the public to enter into a wide-ranging and interdisciplinary dialogue with music and the visual arts. Founded in 2004, this non-profit organisation promotes the work of Greek artists at home and abroad, with support for networking, and maintains a directory of artisans. The foundation sponsors educational and academic research, and its cultural centre in the heart of Athens hosts exhibitions, concerts, lectures and educational activities as well as a café and art shop. thf.gr

Established in 1986, the Centro de Formação Profissional para o Artesanato e Património (CEARTE), is a vocational training centre in the craft sector, with its headquarters based in Coimbra. CEARTE masterminds training projects all over Portugal, supporting creativity, skills and talent development. Respecting and upholding time-honoured techniques and heritage skills, the organisation also places a focus on restoration and patrimony, as well as innovation. cearte.pt

The Cyprus Handicraft Service (CHS) is the Republic of Cyprus governmental body under the Deputy Ministry of Culture, responsible for promoting and preserving the rich heritage of Cypriot craftsmanship while enhancing its competitiveness through research and design innovation. The CHS designs and implements policies, to ensure that the local know-how in craft making will be preserved and passed on to the new generation of artisans. cyprushandicraft.gov.cy

Design & Crafts Council Ireland is the national agency for craft and design in Ireland, we support designers and makers to develop their businesses in a sustainable way, and advocate for the societal benefits of craft and design. DCCI's activities are funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment via Enterprise Ireland. DCCI currently has 64 member organisations and over 3,500 registered clients. dcci.ie

Institut pour les Savoir-Faire Français (The French Savoir-Faire Institute) is a non-profit association founded in 1889. Their work is recognized by the French Ministry of Economics, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, the French Ministry of Culture, and the French Ministry of National Education, and Youth. They conduct a support policy for fine crafts as well as Living Heritage Companies. The Institute actively participates in the promotion of French savoir-faire at national and international levels institut-savoirfaire.fr

The Norwegian Folk Art and Craft Association is a non-governmental organization that has over 350 local member groups across Norway. Since its inception in 1910, the association has been steadfast in its mission to champion traditional Norwegian handicrafts, perpetuate craft skills, and spread the joy of creating. In 2014, it achieved UNESCO accreditation. A core aspect of their work involves teaching craft skills, with numerous courses offered by local member groups nationwide. husflid.no

Nów. New Craft Poland is an association of original craft studios from all over Poland. The unique pieces created by their members are of the highest quality of workmanship. Their objective is to spread knowledge about contemporary Polish craft and promote it at home and abroad. They represent the interests of their members while dealing with public institutions and business. nownowerzemioslo.pl

The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) is a charity that transforms the careers of talented and aspiring makers by funding their training and education, creating pathways to excellence and strengthening the future of the UK’s craft sector. To date, QEST has awarded more than £6million to almost 800 individuals working across the UK in 130 different craft disciplines. While their Crafting Tomorrow programme inspires a new generation of makers through key partnerships. qest.org.uk

Academic partners:

ESSEC Business School, founded in 1907, is one of the world’s top management schools and holds the “triple crown” accreditation from EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA. With 7,221 students; a faculty comprised of 169 full-time professors, 23 of which are emeritus professors, in France and Singapore, recognized for both the quality and influence of their research; a wide range of management training programmes; partnerships with the world’s best universities; and a network of 65,000 alumni, ESSEC continues to foster a tradition of academic excellence and a spirit of openness in the fields of economics, social sciences and innovation. In 2005, ESSEC opened a campus in Asia. ESSEC’s operations in Asia Pacific, strategically located in Singapore, present the perfect foothold for ESSEC to be part of the vibrant growth of Asia and to bring its expertise to the expanding region. Additionally, in 2017 ESSEC opened a new campus in Rabat, Morocco. ESSEC’s international expansion allows students and professors to study and understand the economic forces at work in the different regions of the world. essec.edu

Passa Ao Futuro founded in 2016 by Astrid Suzano and Fatima Durkee, is a cultural initiative non-profit association that seeks out craftspeople in Portugal working with traditional techniques. It strives to support these communities and people through the documentation and preservation of their tacit knowledge, the development of case specific social, environmental and economic sustainability programmes, with a focus on the celebration and passing on of skills. The association activates this network through several initiatives including residencies, summer schools, exhibitions, social innovation and sustainability training. It supports the crafts as a catalyst for a regenerative future. passaaofuturo.com

Creative residency:

Since 1969, UIA Università Internazionale dell’Arte (International University of Art), located at Villa Hériot, is the most prestigious professional training centre in the field of cultural heritage restoration and conservation in Venice. Since its foundation, UIA has been a point of reference for education and training in the field of art, and a place of experimentation between the world of academia and the world of work. uiavenezia.com

Download pdf