Forget NFTs, this year’s most subversive aesthetic is slower than your nan’s knitting circle. “Grandma hobbies” such as knitting, watercolour and calligraphy are making a striking comeback. Once dismissed as quaint or old-fashioned, these cosy pastimes are now infiltrating contemporary art spaces, concept shops and curated Instagram feeds alike. But this is more than just a nostalgic aesthetic; it is a quiet revolution with very real benefits.
At their core, these gentle activities offer something the fast-paced, burnout-prone art world desperately needs: slowness, presence and intention. In a recent article for House Beautiful, editor Marisa LaScala notes that taking up traditional hobbies not only boosts mental health, but also encourages creativity, strengthens social bonds and improves cognitive function.
Take knitting, for example. It’s meditative, repetitive and portable, perfect for quiet evenings or long commutes. Or try flower-pressing, which has found its way from dusty family albums into contemporary collage, book art and even Saatchi’s latest showcase.
In the art world, textile practices are at the forefront of this revival. Tracey Emin’s early appliqué blankets bore raw, confessional texts that blurred the line between soft materials and hard truths. Today, Danish artist Lulu Kaalund brings crochet into the contemporary spotlight with vibrant, mural-like pieces that bridge street art, fashion and pop abstraction.
Best of all, many of these hobbies are easy to begin. You can start small: buy a ball of yarn and learn a basic stitch, plant herbs on your windowsill, or join a crochet group. The point isn’t perfection; it’s process. Engaging with tactile, repetitive, and nature-inspired practices is both grounding and generative, something the contemporary art world is beginning to champion and celebrate.
So the next time you come across an artist painstakingly embroidering, or a gallery installation that smells of lavender and lemon drizzle cake, know this: grandma hobbies are no longer just a trend. They are a soft, slow, subversive revival, and it might just be time to pick up your needles.
