Why can't I access Finder on my Macbook Air?

Safe mode restarts the Mac and loads only the bare minimum drivers required to run the computer and get online. Starting in Safe mode also forces the Mac to perform a number of housekeeping functions. WheelieNick’s suggestion is based on the possibility that your Finder issue is related to a misbehaving driver/app and/or that deleting temporary files will solve the problem. If so it gives you two avenues to explore: 1) restarting immediately and seeing if the issue has been fixed or 2) failing that, the knowledge that you should look at your login items as the culprit. If your Finder doesn’t function in Safe mode it is safe to assume that your problem is related to either a hardware issue or munged hard drive. The next step would be to format the drive and reinstall the OS. I’d immediately test Finder before restoring from a backup.

What is happening when you're trying to open up the finder?

If it is not working, please try and boot the Mac in the safe mode to see if the issues persist

Start up your Mac with Apple silicon in safe mode

1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu  > Shut Down.
2. Wait for your Mac to shut down completely. A Mac is completely shut down when the screen is black and any lights (including in the Touch Bar) are off.
3. Press and hold the power button on your Mac until “Loading startup options” appears.
4. Select a volume.
5. Press and hold the Shift key, then click Continue in Safe Mode.
6. The computer restarts automatically. When the login window appears, you should see “Safe Boot” in the menu bar.

Start up your Intel-based Mac in safe mode

1. Turn on or restart your Mac, then immediately press and hold the Shift key until you see the login window.
2. Log in to your Mac.
3. You might be asked to log in again.
4. On either the first or second login window, you should see “Safe Boot” in the menu bar.

I have a M2 MacBook Air running the latest OS and I'm having a similar issue whereby Finder simply locks up and shows as 'Not Responding' under Force Quit Applications. Selecting restart for Finder doesn't help. All the icons disappear from the desktop and selecting About This Mac from the Apple dropdown fails to bring up the info box. Finder effectively ceases to function.

Restarting the MacBook results in the laptop simply hanging with a blank screen which I resolved by pressing the Power button until the laptop fully shut down. Restarting results in a laptop that the functions for a while but only until Finder crashes again.

Whilst welcoming your assistance and words of advice, I respectfully fail to see how entering Safe Mode is going to resolve an issue that is reoccurring.