Five Reasons We’re Looking Forward to the Second Coming of Krampusmarkt

Craft fairs aren’t for everyone, but Krampusmarkt – the offbeat offspring of Object Handmade Studio and Strange Fellows Brewing – is in an entirely different category. Much like the brewery itself, this line-up of makers and artists are a deviant bunch.

We’ve gone through the full 30 participant-long roster to select just a handful of the stuff we’d like to help us check off the more discerning oddball friends and family members on our holiday lists…ourselves included. The 2nd annual Krampusmarkt goes down at the brewery from December 7 to 8, with a special ticketed Opening Reception party happening on the night of Friday, December 6th.

Light and Paper

Subjects of the impressively intricate wood and paper creations by Toronto’s Ali Harrison range from comedically absurd (napping sloths, raccoon and trashcan ornaments – these are my kind of decorations!) to anatomically inspired. We can’t wait to get up close with one of Harrison’s larynx or hearts, like the one pictured above.

Melt Confectionery

Melt’s chocolate confections definitely aren’t intended for conservative palates. Chocolate-maker Kate Mathewson is known for her adventurous combinations – like strawberry mint dark chocolate and cinnamon bun truffles with cream cheese and cinnamon – and some especially tastebud stimulating additions (notably, pop rocks), plus hand-dipped and gold-dusted honeycomb.

Stefanie Dueck

Can utensils inspire appetite? It seems kind of backwards, but since discovering local blacksmith Stefanie Dueck’s medieval-meets-scifi stainless steel and bronze ladles and chopsticks, I definitely have some very unusual cravings…Her other metallic creations have included cutlery, salad servers, serving spoons, cheese knives, martini picks and art sculptures.

Michelle Nguyen

Vancouver painter, illustrator and ceramicist Michelle Nguyen is probably most recognizable for her sinister and sensual tableaus, often set in lush tropical settings. Although her East 7th Avenue mural is easily eyeballed, the opportunity to snatch up a piece of her beautifully eerie work for ourselves is pretty irresistible.

Eikcam Ceramics

I’m a long-time fan of Eikcam’s whimsical ceramics, especially her anthropomorphic ‘Marie Antoinette’ series of bud vases, mugs and planters. Most recently she’s added a brood of quirky, reimagined Daruma dolls (Buddhist goal-setting talismans) to her repertoire – perfect creature companions to have on hand when the calendar changes to 2020.