Returning to Central Saint Martins: Inside ‘In the Making’ a Celebration of Contemporary Craft
Sometimes opportunities arrive completely unexpectedly.
A few months ago I received an email from Lena Waldeck, a final-year Graphic Communication Design student at Central Saint Martins in London.
Lena was creating In the Making, a beautifully designed physical archive exploring how traditional crafts can counter the accelerated pace of modern life. Through interviews, photography, objects and materials, the project celebrates contemporary makers while encouraging a slower, more meaningful relationship with craft, time and the natural world. The completed archive was exhibited as part of the Central Saint Martins Degree Shows 2026.
She had discovered Love Heartwood and wondered if I’d be willing to take part.
For me, the invitation felt particularly special.
Many years ago I studied Product Design at Central Saint Martins myself. I never imagined that one day I would return—not as a student, but as one of the makers featured in a graduating student’s degree show project.
Exploring In the Making
One of the things I admire most about In the Making is that it isn’t simply a collection of interviews. Lena created a thoughtful archive that brings together different makers, materials and objects to explore why traditional craft still matters today.
Each maker contributes a different perspective, demonstrating that while every craft is unique, they all share common values: patience, skill, sustainability and a deep respect for materials. My contribution forms one chapter or booklet within In the Making. Lena visited my workshop, photographed my practice and interviewed me about woodturning, teaching and sustainability.
A visit to the workshop
So in April of 2026 Lena visited my rural West Berkshire workshop, where she spent time photographing both my work and the space where I teach and create. Through Love Heartwood, I create contemporary woodturned objects from sustainably sourced British timber and teach woodturning.
Her photographs capture something that’s difficult to explain in words: the quiet rhythm of the workshop, the tools, the timber and the connection between maker and material. The themes Lena explored—material, process and our relationship with craft—are the same ideas that continue to shape both my contemporary work and the courses I teach.
Several of the pieces featured in Lena’s photographs were later exhibited during West Berkshire & North Hampshire Open Studios.
If you’d like to explore the project as a whole, you can read the complete publication below.
Talking about making
As part of the project Lena interviewed me about my practice, my approach to sustainability and why I believe traditional crafts remain so important today. My work is recognised by the Crafts Council and is rooted in sustainably sourced British timber.
The interview explores subjects that are at the heart of Love Heartwood:
- working with locally sourced British timber
- creating beautiful objects designed to last
- helping beginners discover confidence through woodturning
- slowing down and working with, rather than against, natural materials
- passing traditional skills on to future generations
One answer in particular still resonates with me:
“Wood isn’t uniform—it moves, it reacts, it has its own character. You have to listen to it.”
And another sums up why I love teaching:
Watching someone arrive unsure or nervous and leave with confidence—and something they’ve made with their own hands—is incredibly rewarding. That shift in how they see themselves is something I never get tired of.”
Contributing to the archive
The project wasn’t simply about interviews and photographs.
Lena asked each maker to contribute a physical artefact to become part of the archive itself.
For my contribution I chose one of my hand-turned wooden egg cups.I chose something small so it would physically fit into the archive. However I’m pleased it also represents the simplicity and functionality that I like to put into my work.
Knowing that a piece of my work became part of a physical archive documenting contemporary craft felt incredibly meaningful. It represents not only my work as a woodturner, but also my belief that everyday handmade objects can bring joy, encourage slower living and create a deeper appreciation for natural materials.
Exhibited at the Central Saint Martins Degree Shows
The completed project, In the Making, was exhibited as part of the Central Saint Martins Degree Shows 2026.
Seeing the finished publication was another full-circle moment.
Lena combined thoughtful writing, beautiful photography and carefully designed layouts to create a publication celebrating the value of contemporary craft and the people keeping traditional skills alive.
Read the publication
Lena has kindly given me permission to share both her photographs and the publication.
Thank you
A huge thank you to Lena for inviting me to take part in such a thoughtful project and for documenting my practice so beautifully.
It’s encouraging to see emerging designers championing traditional craft and recognising the value of making by hand in an increasingly fast-paced world.
About Love Heartwood
Although this project looks back to where my woodturning journey began, it also reminds me why I continue to make. Through Love Heartwood I create contemporary woodturned objects from sustainably sourced British timber and teach woodturning in my West Berkshire rural workshop.
Whether you’re interested in collecting handmade work or learning the craft yourself, I hope this glimpse into my practice has inspired you to look a little more closely at the value of making by hand.
Credits
Photography and publication design – Lena Waldeck
Graphic Communication Design, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London
In the Making was created as Lena’s final-year degree project and exhibited as part of the Central Saint Martins Degree Shows 2026. The photographs and publication are reproduced here with Lena’s kind permission.