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London Craft Week 2025 China Pavilion: Tiangong Kaiwu Unveiled

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The 2025 London Craft Week China Pavilion Tiangong Kaiwu opened its doors in London on May 12th.

At the entrance of the exhibition, a demonstration of Dulong weaving shows the beautiful work of Dulong people, China’s least populous ethnic minority, who primarily reside in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China’s Yunnan Province.

Walking through the exhibition, you are met with approximately 120 Chinese handcrafted works.

At the opening ceremony, guests were welcomed with a traditional Chinese dance, before several speeches and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Guy Salter, Founder and Chairman of London Craft Week, said Chinese craft has always played a role since London Craft Week was instigated 11 years ago, “because of the importance of Chinese culture and Chinese craftsmanship to the world of craft in general”.

The Exploitation of the Works of Nature, ‘Tiangong Kaiwu’

Qian Zhu, President and Editor-in-Chief of Art and Design Press, explained the origins for the name of the exhibition is drawn from 17th century Chinese influential compendium. It is widely recognised as the world’s first comprehensive treatise documenting the wisdom of agriculture and artisanal techniques.

The meaning of ‘Tiangong’ is the
power of nature, while the meaning of ‘Kaiwu’ is the ingenuity of human wisdom.

Together, ‘Tiangong’ and ‘Kaiwu’ represent the combination of nature and human ingenuity to achieve beautiful craftsmanship.

The China Pavilion for LCW 2025 is presented by the Art and Design Magazine, supported by London Craft Week Organising Committee, the Cultural Section of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, media supported by Nouvelles D’Europe.

The exhibition runs until 18th May and includes themed events such as “Mothers’ Needlework” and “A Magical Leaf from the East.” Notably, 80 percent of the showcased works are created by emerging artisans.

Since its inception in 2015, London Craft Week has become one of the world’s most important arts and crafts events, supported by the King Charles Foundation and initiated by founder Guy Salter. Held in London every early summer, Craft Week brings together designers, brands, galleries and artisans from around the world to create a platform for international and local, historical and contemporary exchange through exhibitions, lectures and workshops. China has participated in the exhibition since it began, representing the beauty of traditional Chinese craftsmanship on the global stage.

Guest Dr David Francis, lecturer in Asian art at SOAS, whose research project Craft China from 2018 to 2020 looking at ethnic minority communities’ crafts in China’s Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, said he was excited to see this kind of here in London. Adding: “I think one of the really exciting things is how China really puts craft as part of identity and civilisation and gives it that kind of importance.”