Alisher Rakhimov is a sixth-generation master ceramist. He has exhibited in Japan, Germany, the USA, France, England and China, and has participated in various UNESCO projects to revitalise ancient ceramic techniques, including workshops and festivals. In 2004 he produced five documentary films for UNESCO entitled ‘Ceramics of Uzbekistan’, and in 2006 he edited new English editions of his grandfather Mukhitdin Rakhimov's books ‘Artistic Ceramics of Uzbekistan’ and ‘Architectural Ceramics of Uzbekistan’.

Pascale Mussard began her career in the creative industry with Nicole de Vesian and joined Hermès in 1978 as a purchasing manager for women's ready-to-wear. She held various roles at Hermès, including Press Attaché, Head of Advertising and Public Relations, and directed the exhibitions department for six years. In 2002, she became Artistic Director alongside Jean-Louis Dumas and, in 2006, co-Artistic Director with Pierre-Alexis Dumas. In 2010, she founded "petit h," a workshop repurposing unused materials into unique artistic creations, emphasizing sustainability. After passing her responsibilities to Godefroy de Virieu in 2018, Pascale Mussard now dedicates her time to various foundations and associations. She is Vice-President of the Fondation d'Entreprise Hermès, President of the Villa Noailles association, a member of the Council at IE University in Madrid, a member of the Heroes Committee of the Institut Imagine, and a member of the Council of the Vilebrequin Foundation. Photo credit: Emile Kirsh

Carla Sodi Ambrosi, pursued her academic endeavors in Marketing at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. Over the course of her professional trajectory, she has assumed directorial roles within diverse enterprises, demonstrating adeptness in both management and organizational expansion. However, her enduring dedication to educational pursuits and community advancement has remained a constant hallmark. Since the outset of 2016, Carla Sodi Ambrosi has served in the capacity of Director at Fundación Casa Wabi AC. In this esteemed role, she has not only overseen the allocation of resources and the orchestration of operational endeavors but has also been instrumental in championing the conceptualization and execution of an array of initiatives. Noteworthy among these initiatives are the "Educational Program for the Promotion, Dissemination, and Preservation of Clay," the Community Programs, and the Artistic Residency Program. Throughout her tenure, her endeavors have consistently aimed at fostering the enrichment of the diverse communities proximate to the foundation.

Glenn Adamson is a curator, writer and historian based in New York and London. He has previously been Director of the Museum of Arts and Design and Head of Research at the V&A. Dr. Adamson’s publications include Thinking Through Craft (2007); The Craft Reader (2010); Postmodernism: Style and Subversion (2011, with Jane Pavitt); The Invention of Craft (2013); Art in the Making (2016, with Julia Bryan-Wilson); Fewer Better Things: The Hidden Wisdom of Objects (2018); Objects: USA 2020; and Craft: An American History (2021). His next book, A Century of Tomorrows, will be published by Bloomsbury in 2024. Dr. Adamson is Artistic Director for Design Doha, a new biennial for Qatar (2024), editor of Material Intelligence, a quarterly online journal published by the Chipstone Foundation, and curator-at-large for LongHouse Reserve. His current curatorial projects include Worlds Within: The Art of Toshiko Takaezu at the Isamu Noguchi Museum (2024).

The creative endeavours of Ronald Rael blur the borders between architecture, art, technology, land-based practices, and social justice. He writes books, forms startup companies, advocates for human rights at the U.S.–Mexico border, creates software, invents novel materials and new forms of construction, and designs buildings as an applied research enterprise. His studio is known globally for the Teeter Totter Wall project, a forty-minute guerilla event on both sides of the U.S.–Mexico border to unite families and communities. He co-founded the startup company, FORUST, which rematerialises wood waste via 3D Printing to produce beautiful end-use products and has innovated the processes for the robotic construction of raw earthen buildings. His work can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, The London Design Museum, LACMA, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Renwick Smithsonian American Art Museum. He is the Chair of the Department of Art Practice and Eval Li Memorial Chair in Architecture at the University of California Berkeley.

Ahmad Angawi is a multidisciplinary creative and educator born in Makkah in 1981. He holds degrees in Industrial Design and Traditional Arts from Pratt Institute in New York and The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London respectively. He is the Associate Director of AlMakmad Foundation and the Founder of Zawiya 97, a cultural hub in Jeddah's historical district. Working alongside The Prince Foundation & Jameel Art, Angawi established the first school for traditional arts (The house of traditional arts) in Al Balad and worked as the Programme Director of The school. He also worked with the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage and Turquoise Mountain. Angawi is inspired by Hejazi culture. He promotes balance in his work, influenced by his father Dr. Sami Angawi’s "Al Mizan" philosophy. His creations reflect on the human condition, culture, heritage, and the environment. Through exhibitions, projects, and educational programmes, he fosters dialogue and cultural exchange in Al-Balad, contributing to the preservation and rejuvenation of Hejazi heritage. Angawi emphasises the importance of traditional artisans and their roles in today's mass-market productions. He sees industrial designers as modern craftsmen.

Ikko Yokoyama is Lead Curator of Design and Architecture at M+. Before joining M+, she served as Head of Exhibitions at Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm. In parallel, Yokoyama is an independent curator and writer and has worked on international exhibitions and projects across Europe, South Africa, and Japan. She is an executive committee member of the ICAM International Confederation of Architectural Museums, advisory panel of CHAT Centre for Heritage Arts & Textiles in Hong Kong, committee member of the Design-DESIGN MUSUEM, expert committee member of the National Center for Art Research, Japan and member of the expert advisor group of the Council for Cultural Affairs in the Agency of Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan. Photo credit: Winnie Yeung