Craft Exhibitions 2025: London's Top Handmade Art and Design Shows

When you think of craft exhibitions, live, in-person displays of handmade objects created by skilled artisans using traditional and contemporary techniques. Also known as maker fairs, they’re where art meets everyday life—think hand-thrown pottery, woven textiles, carved wood, and glassblowing—not just hanging on a wall, but made to be held, used, and lived with. In 2025, London’s craft scene is stronger than ever, with a surge in independent makers pushing boundaries in material, form, and meaning.

These events aren’t just about pretty objects. They connect you to the people behind them—the ceramicist in Peckham who fires her pieces in a backyard kiln, the weaver in Hackney using recycled wool from old coats, the metalworker in Shoreditch who turns scrap steel into delicate jewelry. textile art exhibits, focused displays of fabric-based work including embroidery, quilting, and dyeing techniques that tell cultural or personal stories are exploding in popularity, especially in spaces like the Design Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Meanwhile, maker markets London, pop-up events where independent artisans sell directly to the public, often featuring live demonstrations and workshops have moved beyond Camden and Borough Market into underused warehouses, community centers, and even old tube stations.

What’s different this year? More makers are blending heritage skills with digital tools—laser-cut wood inlaid with hand-painted details, 3D-printed ceramic molds shaped by ancestral patterns. You’ll find exhibitions that don’t just show objects, but tell stories: how migration shaped a new style of embroidery, how climate change led to using seaweed-based dyes, or how a single family’s woodworking tradition survived decades in East London. These aren’t just displays—they’re conversations.

You won’t find mass-produced trinkets here. Every piece has a maker’s name, a story, and a reason it exists. Whether you’re looking for a unique gift, want to support local artistry, or just love seeing how something is made from start to finish, London’s 2025 craft exhibitions offer real connection in a digital world. Below, you’ll find the most compelling shows, hidden gems, and must-see installations this year—each one a chance to see craft not as decoration, but as living culture.