2022 Edition

Description: The WILD TAPESTRIES project is a series of abstract works in textile. Layer upon layer of salvage fabrics are placed on top of one another to create fields of colour; they are then sewn into geometric forms, incised with a surgeon’s knife and subsequently subjected to a washing process which reveals the colours and textures underneath.  Idea: I developed this technique during lockdown when access to materials was very limited and I began to use what was around me to create. The beauty of this technique really struck me: how it manged to be ancient yet contemporary, precious yet punk, wild yet ordered.  Development: The tapestries are developing in an organic way, becoming more painterly.  Improvements: My objective is to play even a small role in improving our society by creating an object of beauty from leftovers. This can serve as a positive metaphor for the strange period we have been living through.  I would also hope to improve by example: many people discovered the healing value of using their hands to create during the last couple of years, just as our ancestors did for millennia. The satisfaction that this still brings, even in our digital age remains incalculable. As an educator as well as an artist, I received an unprecedented number of requests to teach people to paint, draw and learn to create during this period.