By Hand: Weaving and Fibre Craft Today - A Response

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of attending the curator tour of By Hand: Weaving and Fibre Craft Today at the Corban Estate Arts Centre. This exhibition features an impressive range of work by members of the Handweavers & Spinners Guild Auckland - some of whom have been with the passionate group of makers since its inception. A striking collection of invaluable knowledge, By Hand: Weaving and Fibre Craft Today highlights the importance of art as collective memory and provocation for intergenerational learning.

Decades of experience have culminated in an exhibition that celebrates art that is lived-in. As a 26-year-old artist who has never crocheted a single square, I was completely humbled by the craftsmanship demonstrated in the works that hung, lay and wrapped around me. Meeting these woven portals pulled me into the worlds of artisans who walk the line between pragmatism and self-expression every day. Their creations are an eloquent reminder of our human capacity to develop aesthetic responses to universal needs.

By Hand: Weaving and Fibre Craft Today has the potential to reinvigorate slow, purposeful creative practices that are sustainable by design. This fabulous exhibition could even inspire the next generation of storytellers to pick up knitting needles.