Tholu Bommalata: stories in leather and light
Kanday Anjannapa | Mysore, India
HOMO FABER 2026 E-CATALOGUE
The fourth edition of Homo Faber Biennial invites you to explore the fundamental relationship between light, materials and the human hand. Embark on a sensory journey through 15 immersive installations in the historic grounds and buildings of Fondazione Giorgio Cini and discover hundreds of handcrafted objects by artisans from around the world. Artistic Director Es Devlin’s unique staging illuminates the creativity and talent of the artisans, while live demonstrations, participatory workshops, culinary experiences and bespoke tours bring you even closer to craft. Inspired by the archipelago of the Venetian lagoon, Es Devlin has created a narrative that unites the work of hundreds of individual craft artists from across the world – each an island of talent and skill within the wider waters of craftsmanship – on San Giorgio Maggiore. By manipulating light through the use of water, mirrors, movement and more, Devlin creates a journey that illuminates the world of craftsmanship, from the craft artists themselves to their workshops, tools, materials and the exquisite objects they create. Together, the exhibition spaces explore the relationship between light, materials, talent and creativity, revealing how master artisans can use this life-giving energy as a tool to create wonder and joy.
Sculpting lightness, feather by feather
Julien Vermeulen | Paris, France
Carving wood into lace
Julien Feller | Au Sable Forks, USA
The making of a concert guitar
Joël Laplane | Pézenas, France
Silver meets gold: the variety of decorative silverwork
Jessica Jue | London, United Kingdom
Painting stories on porcelain
Jayne King | Chicago, IL, USA
Bamboo sculpting: a dialogue of past and present
Inkgo Lam 林嘉裕 | Hong Kong SAR, China
The poetry of feather mosaic
Henar Iglesias | Fresnedillas de la Oliva, Spain
Crafting tableware with a jeweller's touch
Heath Wagoner | Brooklyn, NY, USA
Crafting miniature worlds from paper
Hannah Levesque | Lille, France
Fold a flower, grow a garden
Giuseppe Romeo | Marostica, Italy
Murano glass: the art of engraving
Giovanni & Vincenzo Barbini | Venice, Italy
The mastery of Barniz de Pasto
Gilberto & Óscar Granja | Pasto, Colombia
Lace forged from metal
Giacomo Bevanati | Córdoba, Spain
Fire and glass: a living process
Florian Rosier | Lantenay, France
Sculpting stories in cameo
Fabio Ottaviano | Portici, Italy
Carving an insect from ebony
Etienne Rayssac | Paris, France
Carving the language of Syrian architecture
Eshraq Alabrash | London, United Kingdom
Shaping gemstone into sculpted jewel
Elsa Marceau | Idar-Oberstein, Germany
The sculptural language of leather
Elaine Chan-Perryman | Amsterdam, Netherlands
Pietra dura: where stone becomes a second skin
Studio Lél | , Pakistan
Three crafts, one enduring mastery of furniture making
Dominique & Éric Sanson | Treis-Sants-en-Ouche, France
Inside the cabinetmaker's workshop
David Marmilloud | Cluses, France
Rediscovering glass sign writing
Daniel Plavecký | Prague, Czech Republic