Open celebrates the dynamism of Farnham as a centre of craft education and practice, both past and present. With a focus on the career of Sudanese-born potter Siddig el Nigoumi, who settled in Farnham in 1967, the exhibition explores the dynamic courses in ceramics and textiles at the West Surrey College of Art and Design from the late 1950 to the 1980s. Complementing this historical narrative are selections from the Centre’s collections and interventions by early career makers of the New Ashgate Gallery’s Rising Stars programme. Both parts of the exhibition signal the Crafts Study Centre’s ambition to open its collections to new interpretations and celebrate the depth of Farnham’s craft history.

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Siddig el nigoumi, large triangular dish, 1979. from the crafts study centre collections, 2024.15.