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“The narrative engages viewer(s), handler(s),
user(s) or wearer(s): it provokes interaction.
The story-as-told will be interpreted
differently by the audience experiencing it,
and they in turn become part of the story.”
(Quoted from Origin, on the Crafts, No.
202 September/October 2006)

“The new interest in the object-as-
story will be much in evidence at Origin: the London Craft Fair, though the stories and how they are recounted will vary considerably. “I discovered Limoges porcelain as a canvas. I used the drawings I have made in Japan of bathers with little red bottoms, and then the drawings of people and market scenes that had done in France. I produced a very lively collection of “traveler’s pots.” They were like my travel Journal,” said Helen Beard who illustrations on her white Porcelain bowls and mugs, She is now planning to make a really big story about London with a series of pots from different areas in the East end, the touristy parts and Peckham. “It will be a sort of conversation. I have a vision of 50 pots in little clusters or individuals all in one big story. The narrative is incredibly important.” (Quoted from Origin, on the Crafts, No. 202 September/October 2006)

Bev Milward creates porcelain landscapes, she describes her crafts a form of visual diary: “Sometimes I am felling particularly happy, sometimes I am feeling particularly unhappy, and the pieces reflect that,” she explains. “I am pleasantly surprised that people can identify with my pieces, maybe even project on to them. I love it when people say, “That reminds me of me as a child,” or, “Look, that is me and Dave.” Milward’s new piece, Movers and Shakers, consists of a group of separate dancing figures. “I made them because I am starting to be seen as an embarrassment by my 12-year-old son,’ she said.

“I spend time designing and producing a full portfolio of work,” says Nealay Patel who is 19 and has accomplished more than some artists do after years of being in the business. “A portfolio of work really tells a story of how I view the world in an aesthetic manner, and what I feel like designing in that time period. I hope other artists use the portfolio system to better promote their work. Who knows, I may start a revolution in the jewelry/bead world.” (Quoted from Emerging artist: Nealay Patel—Shooting for the Stars at Age 19 by Heather Skelly on The Crafts Report, January 2006)

Perhaps every piece of art or craft has its own story that we do not recognize. Maybe, it is very easy to find out the unique stories behind every piece of craft through either the owner or the craftsmen, but we have never actually paid attention to their stories. No matter what the story is, it is the spirit that craftsmen giving to the craft through what they see and feel. Possibly next time, when you visit the art exhibition or when you visit our exhibition, you would like to spend more time to appreciate the story behind the crafts.