Gyokusendo | Tsuiki Makers

Gyokusendo is a 200-year-old company specialized in tsuiki, or hand-hammered copperware. Located in Tsubame city in Niigata Prefecture, a region where metalworking has been carried out since the Edo period, the workshop produces handsome kettles, tea wares, cups, coffee kettles and drippers, all made entirely by hand. The seventh representative of the founding family is now at its helm.

MAKERS | THE AMERICAS | COLOMBIA | TEXTILES Lucía Echavarría | Designer   Lucía Echavarría founded Magnetic Midnight, her accessory brand as a way to approach Colombian crafts through a whimsical and contemporary aesthetic. After a decade, her query into traditional techniques demanded a change of scale: last year she presented her first furniture collection, Magnetic Midnight Maison, for which she put together different Colombian artisanal techniques to create unique pieces made by local communities. Lucía Echavarría has also designed an exclusive range of hand-woven home pieces in collaboration with Cabana.   [SECTION]  How did you begin? "I always loved crafts. I think I’ve been very influenced by my surroundings growing up: my mother is an architect and both my parents collected textiles and traditional arts. It was something that we put our attention into, being able to understand culture through objects. That’s why, to me, crafts are a way to connect with Colombia. Maybe furniture-making wasn’t something that I necessarily envisioned myself doing… I started with costume design and the headpieces. The way it evolved, was really about the possibility of using more traditional techniques and materials." How did you learn?  "Making my accessories by hand was really self-taught, but when they became more elaborate, I took an embroidery class at École Lesage, in Paris. I worked with weavers, but the one-of-a-kind pieces I invented myself. When I got the idea of doing furniture, I was interested in inlaying work into wood, so I took a course at the Santo Domingo School of Arts and Crafts, in Bogotá, where I studied with one of the country’s inlay masters, Ivan Socha. He’s actually one of the artisans I worked with in my own collection. I’ve learnt a lot about the techniques from the makers themselves; you have to understand how the craft works."     How do you plan, prepare and create your works? "The furniture collection took me three years to research and make prototypes. I had to find the appropriate workshops and get to know the collaborators. How we worked is that every artisan workshop made an element with their own technique and material, that belongs to their community and region, and they sent it to us in Bogota, where I worked with one upholster, two woodworkers and someone who forges iron, in order to piece everything together. "We didn’t want the communities to finish each other’s work directly: that would’ve been a whole different process… A very interesting one, maybe for the future. But this time we wanted to have better control of how the piece would look like. The process will take time whenever I try to work with a new craft, but if it’s just variations of what I have already used, it would be quicker. Even so, I do think that things take time; it is important allow time to think, sometimes people do things too quickly." What does a typical day look like? "I have a studio in Bogotá, but my days vary: I can spend the morning drawing and looking at different materials, or I can also go from workshop to workshop, in the outskirts of the city. In assembling the collection, I’ve visited some artisans in various parts of Colombia. The first period of research allowed me to see different parts of the country, encounter diverse landscapes and meet the communities I was to work with and their families. This means visiting places that are not necessarily touristic, but are interesting spots for crafts and authenticity, like Usiacurí in the Atlantic Coast, where the iraca palm is worked; or San Jacinto, a car-drive away from Cartagena, where they make hammocks." [SECTION]  Who or what most inspires you? Traveling is always the biggest source of inspiration. A lot of the ideas that went in the collection were taken from textiles or patterns that I’ve seen. There’s inspiration from Italy, Uzbekistan, India and Japan, for example. Home is also a great source of inspiration for me. Verde Visconti designed my father’s house: the way she mixed textures and her color palette is a big inspiration for me.     One more thing… An Artist you’d collect if you could? Olga de Amaral, Sheila Hicks and Ani Albers. I love textile artists.     Interview by Rebeca VaismanImages from Magnetic Midnight

Inspired by a dream in which she was visited by the Vodou Iwa (deity) Erzulie, Mireille Delismé found her voice manifested in the form of Drapo Vodou - bead and sequin embroidered flags that reflect their African, Indigenous and Catholic heritage. Her father, an oungan (Vodou priest), interpreted the message to be from the spirit of love. Represented in the Vodou tradition by a heart, Delismé used the symbol in her first hand-beaded drapo. These historic tapestries convey the iconography of evolving Haitian Vodou religious practices and are understood today as contemporary masterworks of Folk Art.

Prune Faux discovered her passion for feathers while studying in Paris, leading her to train under renowned plumassière, Nelly Saunier. After honing her skills at prestigious ateliers, including Lemarié for Chanel, she founded her own business in Provence, where she’s been crafting feather art for over a decade. Inspired by her surroundings and the natural vibrancy of feathers, Prune combines meticulous technique with boundless creativity, creating bespoke pieces for her clients from her studio and boutique.

Katrin Moye transforms historical ceramics into contemporary stories, blending hand-painted designs with personal and societal themes. Inspired by 16th to 18th-century European pottery, her work revives traditional forms like posset pots and pharmacy jars, infusing them with wit and modern relevance. Through her crafted earthenware, she explores identity, history, and the evolving relationship between people and objects, bringing the past to life.

In the bustling studio of Fromental, Lizzie Deshayes crafts exquisite needleworks, drawing on a rich tapestry of family craftsmanship and personal artistic exploration. Co-founder of Fromental alongside her husband, Tim, Lizzie interweaves her lifelong affinity for handcrafted textiles with contemporary design, creating tapestries that resonate with historical depth and modern elegance.

Meeting Catherine Rochtus is like stepping into the heart of her craft—a celebration of nature’s quiet elegance and the joy of creation. The Belgian jeweller transforms stones gathered during Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese ritual of forest bathing, into exquisite, bespoke pieces replicating the natural world. Her atelier within Axel Vervoordt’s Het Kanaal project reflects her philosophy—a space where craftsmanship meets creativity and purist simplicity.

In Milan, there are two historic streets with seductive names: ‘Via dei Fiori Chiari’ (Street of light flowers) and ‘Via dei Fiori Oscuri’ (Street of the dark flowers). Not far from here, you will find the tiny boutique ‘L'Erbavoglio’, where you can buy the creations of Elisabetta and Laura: marvellous ornamental flowers carved from metal sheets and inspired by 19th century botanical models.

Sonam Choki must be one of the most inspiring unsung education leaders in the world. Over two decades ago, alongside her father, she founded Bhutan's renowned Choki Traditional Art School to foster and encourage a practical knowledge of Bhutanese art and craftsmanship. Focusing on endangered crafts, the school is dedicated to both the ongoing revival of Bhutanese arts and social enterprise.

The San Patrignano Community, located in the Emilia Romagna region, is a pioneering institution in the fight against drugs, known by Italians for its controversial historical vicissitudes and visionary founder. Internationally, this haven for victims of addiction has a different reputation: one of excellence in various niches of craftsmanship, including an exemplary handmade wallpaper workshop.

Indonesia, home to over 80% of the world’s rattan supply, stands as a global leader in rattan craftsmanship. This versatile climbing palm thrives in the country’s tropical rainforests and has been a cornerstone of Indonesian culture and economy for centuries. Crafting rattan is a tradition deeply rooted in the nation’s heritage, blending skill, sustainability, and beauty.

To meet Sussy Cazalet, even briefly, is to fully experience her work. The talented British artist - who swapped interior design for textile design - is as warm and expressive as her woven masterpieces, each of which takes on a new dimension in her presence.