Circulating Authenticity: Exploring Handmade Objects as Neoliberal Selfies

In 2014, the Canadian Craft Federation launched a national initiative and online campaign where craft artists were asked to use the #citizensofcraft through social media to promote their work and circulate a cohesive vision of contemporary craft production. In following the “digital trail” (Saraswati) that emerges through this hashtag, we can begin to see these object selfies function as visual representations of self, becoming markers of authenticity and proxies of the making process that mediate connections between the maker and the virtual audience. Drawing on Anna Poletti’s conception of self-life-inscription, my paper will explore how handmade objects emerge and circulate towards a “neoliberal selfie” (Saraswati).