The ‘handmade’ label is no longer enough – makers must tell new stories
In this new era of AI, creatives are relying on the 'handmade' label to lure in audiences and sell their work. But a good brand strategy needs to tell another story too.
Hand dyeing Indigo textiles, Oaxaca, Mexico. Photo: Gina Fairley.
This week, I submitted an application for an end-of-year market, as part of that Christmas season flurry which descends upon makers quicker than one would wish.
And, when used alongside mass-manufactured craft objects – where AI design tools are now used to create prototypes and reproduce the visual narratives of slow craft, even before a maker finish a single studio run on a new design – small studio business are under even greater threat.
Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's Senior Contributor, after 12 years in the role as National Visual Arts Editor. She has worked for extended periods in America and Southeast Asia, as gallerist, arts administrator and regional contributing editor for a number of magazines, including Hong Kong based Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. She is an Art Tour leader for the AGNSW Members, and lectures regularly on the state of the arts. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW.
Instagram: fairleygina
