Explore articles about Craft and Making.
9 articles
Land art uses the earth itself as material and the landscape as the gallery. This guide covers the movement's origins in 1960s America, Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty, Christo's wrapped monuments, Andy Goldsworthy's ephemeral sculptures, and why making art in and with nature raises questions that no other medium can.
Embroidery has always been a serious art form. This guide covers its history from medieval ecclesiastical work to contemporary artists using needle and thread on gallery walls, the key figures including Tracey Emin and Ghada Amer, and how embroidery became one of the most politically charged crafts in use today.
Leather tooling is one of the oldest decorative crafts, practised across Islamic, European, and Native American traditions for over a millennium. This guide covers how tooling works, the major traditions, key tools and techniques, and where contemporary leather artists are taking the medium.
Paper is the most widely available art material in the world, and artists have been pushing its limits for over a thousand years. This guide covers origami, kirigami, papercutting, paper sculpture, and the contemporary artists who have turned a sheet of paper into a serious fine art medium.
Woodblock printing is one of the oldest printmaking techniques still actively practised. This guide covers the history of ukiyo-e, how Japanese woodblock prints are made, key artists from Hiroshige to contemporary practitioners, and why relief printing on wood remains a vital medium in 2026.
Glass is the only art medium that is fluid when made and rigid when finished. This guide covers the history of glassblowing, the transformation of glass into a fine art medium, Dale Chihuly's role in the studio glass movement, and why molten glass continues to attract serious artists in 2026.
From ancient tapestries to contemporary fiber installations, textile art spans the full range from domestic craft to major museum work. This guide covers weaving traditions, key artists including Anni Albers and El Anatsui, the fiber art movement, and why the loom is one of the most expressive tools in an artist's studio.
Ceramics is one of humanity's oldest crafts and one of its youngest fine art forms. This guide covers the techniques, the key artists from Bernard Leach to Grayson Perry, the major firing traditions, and why clay continues to attract serious artists in 2026.
Bookbinding is one of the oldest and most technically demanding crafts still practised today. This guide covers the history of the bound book, the major binding structures, the artists who turned the craft into fine art, and how to start exploring it yourself.