Craig Atkinson

I like to be a tourist—whether of an idea, a process, or a method. I try to retain a curious mind and work playfully. I travel lightly. I like to collect, but dislike owning things. Rather than owning objects to define who I am, I prefer things that grow, wear, and show a history. I enjoy systems, but make work that doesn't fit into existing systems or boundaries. I make work that encourages me to learn, with the intention of sharing what I’ve found.

Rules and processes are important, but can cause resistance. I try to think of life as scenes rather than narratives, and journeys rather than outcomes. I make 2D work—generally drawing and painting, usually with ideas of language and absurdity in mind. I cut the work up, collage it, and repeat the process until something makes me stop.

Separate to this, since 2005 I have published over 1,000 titles under Café Royal Books. These sit between book, zine, pamphlet, and artists' book. Most form a series focusing on photography made between 1960 and 2010 with links to the British Isles. They are distributed globally, collected by major public institutions, used in education, and consulted as reference for film and television. Aims include making the books accessible, affordable, and democratic. Over the past four years, CRB has toured, exhibiting across the UK, Japan, and the US. In 2027, CRB will be included in Hodgepodge, curated by Kim Sion and Jarvis Cocker at The Hepworth Wakefield.

When you are a maker, you are naturally inquisitive. There are things I do that aren’t necessarily "art", but I am usually thinking about them in those terms. I enjoy running—it requires little and adds nothing, offering complete freedom and presence. I like to spend time in nature, garden, and cook. I dislike anything that is "extra." I value things that are intuitive, honest, and unadorned, where materials are chosen for their function rather than an aesthetic.

I believe things should work with the natural human form, movement, and posture—not contradict it. They shouldn't exist to help cram more into a day; they should support exploration, play, creation, collaboration, well-being, and mobility.

Making shouldn't be about adding clutter or chasing efficiency. It is about creating simple, honest tools that support direct human experience. In making, "new" things appear, but they aren't decorative—they are simply the trace of a journey, exploration, and play. Teaching is a thread, woven through all of the above.