Charlotte Kingsnorth is a pioneering designer who collaborated with The New Craftsmen during the creation of her new collection to develop new applications for this unique technique. The complex process of patination is a careful application of selected chemical compounds, such as oxides, carbonates, or sulfides, formed on the bronze surface during exposure to atmospheric elements (oxygen, rain, applied heat, carbon dioxide, sulfur-bearing compounds) that tarnish the surface in the process.

Image Credits: The New Craftsmen

Image Credits: The New Craftsmen

Charlotte Kingsnorth remarked – “My goal was to work with patina in a way I hadn’t seen before – to play with colour, textures, and create depth on the metal surface. Inspired by the lichen that was growing on a railing near my studio, I embarked on a series of studies exploring its different forms, from leaf-like branches to a cracked powder-like look, and then reinterpreted its growth and patterns on bronze which I have first manipulated to create clean, architectural forms that are functional art pieces.”

Image Credits: The New Craftsmen

Image Credits: The New Craftsmen

Having trained under Toord Buntje at the Royal College of Art in 2012, Kingsnorth set up her own practice and has created work for Bill Gates, Fendi, SHOWStudio, Christies, the V&A and has shown at the international design fair circuit. Kingsnorth’s practice melds functionality with a personal exploration of materiality, form, and the subversive. The New Craftsmen first presented her work at Design Miami in 2017.

Image Credits: The New Craftsmen

Image Credits: The New Craftsmen

The New Craftsmen creative director, Catherine Lock, also commented that “Creative patronage is critical to the development of new talent, and in particular to innovation. Without early stage seeding and development money, makers struggle to survive and therefore exploring new ideas at scale becomes almost impossible. Craft is as much about tradition, as it is innovation, and through putting our faith (and investment) in Charlotte’s vision and skill we hope to demonstrate what craft can become.”

Image Credits: The New Craftsmen

As part of their focus on patronage, on Thursday 9th May The New Craftsmen will host a panel discussion exploring how craft patronage enables innovation with Kit Kemp (Design Director, Firmdale), Tord Boontje (Industrial Designer), Janice Blackburn (former Curator of Contemporary Craft and Design at Sotheby’s) and Charlotte Kingsnorth.

Image Credits: The New Craftsmen