MAY DESIGN DIARY

There’s plenty to be inspired by this May with two of the most anticipated events in the design calendar, Clerkenwell Design Week and London Craft Week, just around the corner. Stay up to date with the freshest contemporary concepts and latest design world trends – there’s something for every design enthusiast to explore. Continue reading for your guide to what’s on in the design world this month.

THE OFFBEAT SARI

DESIGN MUSEUM, 10 MAY – 17 SEPTEMBER

The latest major show at the Design Museum celebrates the contemporary sari. Curated by Priya Khanchandani, Head of Curatorial at the Museum, the exhibition will showcase the various forms of the sari and highlight its symbolism of the intricate and multifaceted meanings of India in the present day. Visitors can explore a diverse selection of today’s most exceptional saris from designers, artisans and wearers across India.

The Quilted Sari from the HUEMN Fall 17 Collection, HUEMN, 2017; photo Pankaj Dahalia; model Rachi Chitakara. Courtesy of the Design Museum
The Quilted Sari from the HUEMN Fall 17 Collection, HUEMN, 2017; photo Pankaj Dahalia; model Rachi Chitakara. Courtesy of the Design Museum
Image courtesy of Jealous London
Image courtesy of Jealous London

LOGOS I WASN'T ASKED TO REDESIGN BUT DID ANYWAY WITHOUT PERMISSION, PROBABLY ILLEGALLY - DAVE BUONAGUIDI

JEALOUS EAST, UNTIL 14 MAY

Whether you’re an art lover or a graphic design fanatic, you don’t want to miss this brand new exhibition at Jealous East in Shoreditch. Hackney-based artist Dave Buonaguidi (AKA Real Hackney Dave) breathes new life into the logos of major brands with a vibrant pop art style. In the words of the artist;

‘Brands have played a very important role in my life and I always had a fascination with logos. The simplicity and boldness of one word, and occasionally just a symbol, the colours and the back story. As a kid I also loved the fact that I could watch an ad on the telly and then go to the shops and buy the same product and that made me feel like I was part of something bigger, and that I was important.’

LONDON CRAFT WEEK

8 – 14 MAY

This annual event is a tribute to the outstanding creativity of makers from the UK and across the globe. It unites an international selection of over 750 established and up-and-coming craftspeople, designers, galleries and brands, selected for their vision and substance rather than price or reputation. Make sure to visit one of the many exhibitions and talks during the week to experience the ‘magical combination of imagination, individuality, passion and skill found in the best-made of things’ – (Guy Salter, Chairman).

Image courtesy of London Craft Week
Image courtesy of London Craft Week
Image Courtesy of Future Icons
Image Courtesy of Future Icons

FUTURE ICONS SELECTS

BARGEHOUSE, OXO TOWER WHARF, 11 – 14 MAY

During London Craft Week, Future Icons (founded by ND Selects 2023 Curator Louisa Pacifico), presents Future Icons Selects, taking over Oxo Tower Wharf’s iconic Bargehouse with its largest exhibition to date. This new show concept by Future Icons presents the work of over 70 leading artisans from across the world, with a ground floor installation created by 4 of the artists represented by the organisation in collaboration with G F Smith paper.

CLERKENWELL DESIGN WEEK

23 – 25 MAY

Home to more creative businesses and architects per square mile than anywhere else in the world, Clerkenwell is one of the most prominent design centres on the planet. To honour this diverse community, Clerkenwell Design Week has curated a collection of distinguished UK and international brands and companies which come together in a showcase of showroom events, exhibitions and installations taking over this compact London district. Browse the full programme below.

Image courtesy of Clerkenwell Design Week
Image courtesy of Clerkenwell Design Week
Image courtesy of Hampton Court Palace Artisan Fayre
Image courtesy of Hampton Court Palace Artisan Fayre

HAMPTON COURT PALACE ARTISAN FAYRE

12 – 14 MAY

The Artisan Fayre at Hampton Court Palace, 12-14 May offers a special day out for everyone; visit to discover independent artisan makers, street food stalls, workshops, with Free entry to the palace included.

Master a new craft in a workshop; choose from lumen printing, Indian Block Printing or make your own earrings. 

CONSTRUCTING SPACE: AN EXHIBITION OF DANISH CONTEMPORARY CRAFT

FLOW GALLERY, 10 MAY – 1 JULY

‘Constructing Space’ is an exhibition featuring the works of three talented Danish artists: Ane Christensen, Heidi Hentze and Trine Drivsholm, which aims to display the artists’ unique styles and demonstrate how their diverse practices converge in a shared visual language. Though the three artists have never exhibited together before, they are of the same generation and are currently all at the exciting mid-stage of their careers. Stop by Flow Gallery in Notting Hill to discover the experimental and evolutionary styles of the artists brought to life.

Trine Drivsholm, Botanical Structure Green II. Courtesy of Flow Gallery
Trine Drivsholm, Botanical Structure Green II. Courtesy of Flow Gallery

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