02 — Exhibition · Curator & Organiser · Aberdeen
01 — The Exhibition
Crafted By Design came out of something that felt like a gap — there wasn't a straightforward way for early-career makers from Gray's to show and sell work in Aberdeen outside of degree shows and open studios. The idea was simple: put together a group exhibition that gave that work a proper context, in a real venue, with a real public.
I curated and organised it end-to-end — selecting the artists, planning the layout, handling the logistics, and running promotion in the lead-up. The exhibition poster was designed by Louise Calder. It ran for two weeks at The Courtyard Artspace, following a one-month preparation period, and included my own ceramics alongside work from other makers from Gray's.
An exhibition built to give early-career work a proper platform. Not a degree show, not a market — something in between.
This was also the first time selected pieces from the multanni mitti material study were exhibited and made available to buy. Work that had started as research during the residency found its first public context here.
02 — The Role
Selecting who was in the show and making sure the work held together as a group — not just a collection of individual displays. The aim was a coherent standard of presentation while keeping the range across disciplines that made it interesting as an exhibition rather than a single-medium show.
The Courtyard Artspace was configured to support both browsing and conversation — longer dwell time, informal interaction. The layout was planned to balance individual visibility against overall coherence, so work could be encountered as part of something rather than in isolation.
One month of planning and prep before the exhibition opened. Artist coordination, venue communication, installation schedule, and making sure everything was actually in the right place at the right time. Two weeks of run, then takedown.
Social media promotion across platforms to drive local engagement and footfall. The goal was to reach people who wouldn't normally come looking for a craft exhibition — the kind of passing interest that builds when the work is framed accessibly and the promotion is consistent.
2wks
Exhibition Run
1mo
Planning & Preparation
1st
Public Sale of Multanni Work
