The Aram Gallery hosted On the Line, a British Council exhibition exploring craft through the practices of women in Southeast Asia. The show’s opening coincided with London Craft Week (3-7 May 2017).

 

Curated by Martina Margetts and designed by Mentsen, the exhibition featured impressions and unique materials collected by Royal College of Art students and local researchers during residencies in Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam. Throughout their journey, the residents collected traditional products, everyday objects, raw materials and samples. They also documented their journey through journals, photography, film, interviews and sketches.

 

Structured around three themes: craftsmanship, community and commerce, On the Line captured and highlighted the current state of craft practice in these three countries through the eyes of the researchers. The research residencies took place in December 2016 with twelve participants; six students from the Royal College of Art were paired with six local researchers and practitioners. Over the course of two weeks, they explored the artistic practices and social conditions of women artisans.

 

The Aram Gallery presented this exhibition in order to engage our audience with first-hand research on materiality and craft in a wider context. Our continuing aim is to stimulate new and experimental ways of thinking about design.

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Photos: Agnese Sanvito