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International Textile Exhibition!
17th May - 15th June 2024.
Remembering the Past: Creating the Future.
Studio 40 and Queen Street Gallery are proud to present our first International Textile Exhibition!
We are delighted to have had such a huge response to our global call for submissions, and will be showcasing the work of 71 artists representing twelve countries!
Chile, Eire, Finland, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sri Lanka, U.K. and U.S.A!
This comprehensive show features 89 pieces of work, exhibiting an incredible variety of contemporary textile art, in various mediums and techniques, all of which communicate to us the individual artist’s skill and ideas. The emotions, the imagination, and the capabilities of each participant is expressed in the creations displayed in this presentation, which promises to be an exciting and inspiring exhibition.
THE ARTISTS ARE -
Alastair Duncan -
Wales
DNA Experiment 1
Tapestry weaving/wool/wire
NFS
My work as a tapestry weaver focuses on themes such as conflict, regeneration, and interconnection. Sometimes I use metal and/or sound in my work.
I began using the theme of regeneration when we started a family. The spirals I used at the time progressed to fundamental DNA bar code patterns. These have often featured in my tapestries. They continue to be relevant to me in terms of family with the experience of losing my parents a few years ago.
I now use these basic patterns as a symbol of interconnection because DNA exists in all living things and is, for me, a good representation of our connection to the wider natural environment.
Remembering the past, for me, is prompted by the recent loss of my parents while future roots were laid down over 30 years ago in starting a new family.
Tapestry weaving/wool/wire
NFS
My work as a tapestry weaver focuses on themes such as conflict, regeneration, and interconnection. Sometimes I use metal and/or sound in my work.
I began using the theme of regeneration when we started a family. The spirals I used at the time progressed to fundamental DNA bar code patterns. These have often featured in my tapestries. They continue to be relevant to me in terms of family with the experience of losing my parents a few years ago.
I now use these basic patterns as a symbol of interconnection because DNA exists in all living things and is, for me, a good representation of our connection to the wider natural environment.
Remembering the past, for me, is prompted by the recent loss of my parents while future roots were laid down over 30 years ago in starting a new family.
Alastair Duncan -
Wales
DNA Experiment 2
Tapestry weaving/wool/wire
NFS
My work as a tapestry weaver focuses on themes such as conflict, regeneration, and interconnection. Sometimes I use metal and/or sound in my work.
I began using the theme of regeneration when we started a family. The spirals I used at the time progressed to fundamental DNA bar code patterns. These have often featured in my tapestries. They continue to be relevant to me in terms of family with the experience of losing my parents a few years ago.
I now use these basic patterns as a symbol of interconnection because DNA exists in all living things and is, for me, a good representation of our connection to the wider natural environment.
Remembering the past, for me, is prompted by the recent loss of my parents while future roots were laid down over 30 years ago in starting a new family.
Tapestry weaving/wool/wire
NFS
My work as a tapestry weaver focuses on themes such as conflict, regeneration, and interconnection. Sometimes I use metal and/or sound in my work.
I began using the theme of regeneration when we started a family. The spirals I used at the time progressed to fundamental DNA bar code patterns. These have often featured in my tapestries. They continue to be relevant to me in terms of family with the experience of losing my parents a few years ago.
I now use these basic patterns as a symbol of interconnection because DNA exists in all living things and is, for me, a good representation of our connection to the wider natural environment.
Remembering the past, for me, is prompted by the recent loss of my parents while future roots were laid down over 30 years ago in starting a new family.
Aleksandra Gisges Dalecka -
Poland
Loneliness
Knitting crochet / Flax fibre
NFS
When remembering the past, it is important not to forget about our roots. Where are we from? Where were we born and what values do we believe in? I called my job loneliness. Loneliness is the plague of the 21st century. Nowadays, the most valuable thing you can give to another person is presence.
Aleksandra graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, majoring in: artistic textiles. Diploma under the supervision of prof. conv. Ph.D. Ewa Maria Poradowska – Werszler. She also graduated from the Szczecin University of Technology, majoring in materials engineering. A graduate of the State Music School of the 1st degree in Szczecin. A graduate of Top-Art Art Schools, where she majored in cultural animator and unique products.
She is a member of the Association of Polish Visual Artists. Member of the Polish Textile Section. Curator and originator of the Textile Festival in Szczecin.
Knitting crochet / Flax fibre
NFS
When remembering the past, it is important not to forget about our roots. Where are we from? Where were we born and what values do we believe in? I called my job loneliness. Loneliness is the plague of the 21st century. Nowadays, the most valuable thing you can give to another person is presence.
Aleksandra graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, majoring in: artistic textiles. Diploma under the supervision of prof. conv. Ph.D. Ewa Maria Poradowska – Werszler. She also graduated from the Szczecin University of Technology, majoring in materials engineering. A graduate of the State Music School of the 1st degree in Szczecin. A graduate of Top-Art Art Schools, where she majored in cultural animator and unique products.
She is a member of the Association of Polish Visual Artists. Member of the Polish Textile Section. Curator and originator of the Textile Festival in Szczecin.
Aleksandra Gisges Dalecka -
Poland
Carousel of Illusion
Knitting / Crochet/ wool
NFS
The future and the past create time spirals. We are just a small part of this carousel. Will we find balance? That's why the here and now is important. I created an optical work giving the illusion of spinning.
Aleksandra graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, majoring in: artistic textiles. Diploma under the supervision of prof. conv. Ph.D. Ewa Maria Poradowska – Werszler. She also graduated from the Szczecin University of Technology, majoring in materials engineering. A graduate of the State Music School of the 1st degree in Szczecin. A graduate of Top-Art Art Schools, where she majored in cultural animator and unique products.
She is a member of the Association of Polish Visual Artists. Member of the Polish Textile Section. Curator and originator of the Textile Festival in Szczecin.
Knitting / Crochet/ wool
NFS
The future and the past create time spirals. We are just a small part of this carousel. Will we find balance? That's why the here and now is important. I created an optical work giving the illusion of spinning.
Aleksandra graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, majoring in: artistic textiles. Diploma under the supervision of prof. conv. Ph.D. Ewa Maria Poradowska – Werszler. She also graduated from the Szczecin University of Technology, majoring in materials engineering. A graduate of the State Music School of the 1st degree in Szczecin. A graduate of Top-Art Art Schools, where she majored in cultural animator and unique products.
She is a member of the Association of Polish Visual Artists. Member of the Polish Textile Section. Curator and originator of the Textile Festival in Szczecin.
Alison Moger -
Wales
Meg and Blaidd
Machine embroidery
NFS
Alison Moger is textile artist who is interested in community narratives, specifically the narratives of families and place. She makes pieces about women’s lives and concerns, working on recycled domestic textiles such as tablecloths, tea towels, tray cloths and shawls. She then prints and embroiders and burns and bleaches and patches them into textiles which capture the story she wants to tell. The stories are about women’s lives and how they have changed over the past couple of decades. She has done commissioned work on hospital wards for people with Alzheimers making wallpaper from blown up stitched pieces which allowed the patients to navigate the space through pictures but also to remember how they used to do embroidery themselves. She did what sounds like fascinating work in South Wales with families from the area affected by the recent wave of young people’s suicides to celebrate what was good about the community and to commemorate the dead.
She is Welsh herself, and makes pieces to preserve Welsh culture. So there were pieces about the ‘Fair People’ who had, like herself, blond hair and were mistrusted in a community of the dark-haired, and stories from the Mabinogion with its attendant seasonal customs such as the skeleton horse who seems to have been some sort of trick or treat character. She also talked about going on holiday to Porthcawl on the coal lorry when the holiday-makers took their own furniture on the truck to camp with. The posh person with the caravan became the leader of the field kitchen. Then they all waited for the lorry to return home. I liked her idea of working into and onto tea towels because women often work out their problems while doing the washing up, and her invaluable advice, ‘Don’t go out with a man from Bridgend Road, especially if he keeps greyhounds.’
Machine embroidery
NFS
Alison Moger is textile artist who is interested in community narratives, specifically the narratives of families and place. She makes pieces about women’s lives and concerns, working on recycled domestic textiles such as tablecloths, tea towels, tray cloths and shawls. She then prints and embroiders and burns and bleaches and patches them into textiles which capture the story she wants to tell. The stories are about women’s lives and how they have changed over the past couple of decades. She has done commissioned work on hospital wards for people with Alzheimers making wallpaper from blown up stitched pieces which allowed the patients to navigate the space through pictures but also to remember how they used to do embroidery themselves. She did what sounds like fascinating work in South Wales with families from the area affected by the recent wave of young people’s suicides to celebrate what was good about the community and to commemorate the dead.
She is Welsh herself, and makes pieces to preserve Welsh culture. So there were pieces about the ‘Fair People’ who had, like herself, blond hair and were mistrusted in a community of the dark-haired, and stories from the Mabinogion with its attendant seasonal customs such as the skeleton horse who seems to have been some sort of trick or treat character. She also talked about going on holiday to Porthcawl on the coal lorry when the holiday-makers took their own furniture on the truck to camp with. The posh person with the caravan became the leader of the field kitchen. Then they all waited for the lorry to return home. I liked her idea of working into and onto tea towels because women often work out their problems while doing the washing up, and her invaluable advice, ‘Don’t go out with a man from Bridgend Road, especially if he keeps greyhounds.’
Amanda Puleston -
Wales
With Daddy on the Beach 1950s and 1990
Hand Knitting / yarn
NFS
‘With Daddy on the Beach 1950s and 1990’ are hand knitted from family photos, hence the older one being in monochrome, and the other in colour.
Not only do they reflect the passage of time, and changes in fashion, but also reflect that whilst everything changes, nothing does.
The older one is me as a child; the newer is my son. He now has his own toddler, so will make his own memories doing very similar things.
The family photos repeat themselves in each generation showing the innocence and joy of discovering a sandy beach and paddling in shallow, warm seawater.
The magic of a father holding a tiny hand. The pieces are mounted back-to-back, so one can’t be seen with the other.
Hand Knitting / yarn
NFS
‘With Daddy on the Beach 1950s and 1990’ are hand knitted from family photos, hence the older one being in monochrome, and the other in colour.
Not only do they reflect the passage of time, and changes in fashion, but also reflect that whilst everything changes, nothing does.
The older one is me as a child; the newer is my son. He now has his own toddler, so will make his own memories doing very similar things.
The family photos repeat themselves in each generation showing the innocence and joy of discovering a sandy beach and paddling in shallow, warm seawater.
The magic of a father holding a tiny hand. The pieces are mounted back-to-back, so one can’t be seen with the other.
Amanda Puleston -
Wales
With Daddy on the Beach 1950s and 1990
Hand Knitting / yarn
NFS
‘With Daddy on the Beach 1950s and 1990’ are hand knitted from family photos, hence the older one being in monochrome, and the other in colour.
Not only do they reflect the passage of time, and changes in fashion, but also reflect that whilst everything changes, nothing does.
The older one is me as a child; the newer is my son. He now has his own toddler, so will make his own memories doing very similar things.
The family photos repeat themselves in each generation showing the innocence and joy of discovering a sandy beach and paddling in shallow, warm seawater.
The magic of a father holding a tiny hand. The pieces are mounted back-to-back, so one can’t be seen with the other.
Hand Knitting / yarn
NFS
‘With Daddy on the Beach 1950s and 1990’ are hand knitted from family photos, hence the older one being in monochrome, and the other in colour.
Not only do they reflect the passage of time, and changes in fashion, but also reflect that whilst everything changes, nothing does.
The older one is me as a child; the newer is my son. He now has his own toddler, so will make his own memories doing very similar things.
The family photos repeat themselves in each generation showing the innocence and joy of discovering a sandy beach and paddling in shallow, warm seawater.
The magic of a father holding a tiny hand. The pieces are mounted back-to-back, so one can’t be seen with the other.
Angie Hughes -
England
Monastery Floor
Stencilling / machine embroidery
NFS
This piece is inspired by the way that nature takes over after a disastrous event occurs.
Angie is a textile artist and tutor, who lives and works in Ledbury, Herefordshire.
She has been interested in textiles since she left school although only discovered creative embroidery in 1994 when she began studying City & Guilds at Malvern Hills College.
While a student she won the prestigious Charles Henry Foyle Trust Award for Stitched Textiles with her piece 'Unfolding Word' and had 'Shroud' accepted for Art of the Stitch. She carried on her studies at Gloscat with Liz Harding after which she discovered a talent for teaching.
Her artwork is inspired by many themes but particularly poetry or text and the natural world, particularly plant forms.
Stencilling / machine embroidery
NFS
This piece is inspired by the way that nature takes over after a disastrous event occurs.
Angie is a textile artist and tutor, who lives and works in Ledbury, Herefordshire.
She has been interested in textiles since she left school although only discovered creative embroidery in 1994 when she began studying City & Guilds at Malvern Hills College.
While a student she won the prestigious Charles Henry Foyle Trust Award for Stitched Textiles with her piece 'Unfolding Word' and had 'Shroud' accepted for Art of the Stitch. She carried on her studies at Gloscat with Liz Harding after which she discovered a talent for teaching.
Her artwork is inspired by many themes but particularly poetry or text and the natural world, particularly plant forms.
Beth Smith -
Wales
Horsey, Horse
Tapestry / wool, cotton, linen
NFS
The starting point for my work is based on my heritage which lie in both Scotland and Wales and place them into a landscape of my own. I take elements of both countries history and create a very personal story.
In this piece I have looked at the landscape and have included images that I find around me. These include artefacts and objects that are found in my environment.
This image includes reference to folklore in and around the valley that I live in.
I have a very definite style and tapestry satisfies my approach to working. It is a laborious process, and each shape has a meaning, I often borrow from other work and play around until I am happy with the composition.
Tapestry / wool, cotton, linen
NFS
The starting point for my work is based on my heritage which lie in both Scotland and Wales and place them into a landscape of my own. I take elements of both countries history and create a very personal story.
In this piece I have looked at the landscape and have included images that I find around me. These include artefacts and objects that are found in my environment.
This image includes reference to folklore in and around the valley that I live in.
I have a very definite style and tapestry satisfies my approach to working. It is a laborious process, and each shape has a meaning, I often borrow from other work and play around until I am happy with the composition.
Bethan Ash -
Wales
Black Hole - mourning quilt
Improvisational art quilt / discharge and resist dyed fabric, digital photo transfer.
NFS
This mourning quilt represents the feeling of loss when my much-loved husband, parents and family passed away.
The feeling was overwhelming and suffocating, like being pulled into a dark abyss with no way out. It's a sense of profound loss and emptiness, as if a part of your very being has been ripped away.
The weight of grief and sorrow can feel unbearable, leaving you feeling lost and alone in a vast, unending void.
It's a deep ache that seems to consume everything in its path, leaving nothing but a sense of despair and hopelessness.
Improvisational art quilt / discharge and resist dyed fabric, digital photo transfer.
NFS
This mourning quilt represents the feeling of loss when my much-loved husband, parents and family passed away.
The feeling was overwhelming and suffocating, like being pulled into a dark abyss with no way out. It's a sense of profound loss and emptiness, as if a part of your very being has been ripped away.
The weight of grief and sorrow can feel unbearable, leaving you feeling lost and alone in a vast, unending void.
It's a deep ache that seems to consume everything in its path, leaving nothing but a sense of despair and hopelessness.
Bethan Ash -
Ceridwen
Fused and stitched collage / discharge and resist dyed fabric
NFS
This triptych was inspired by the story of Ceridwen, from the children’s book of Taliesin by Robert Nye.
Medieval Welsh poetry refers to her as possessing the cauldron of poetic inspiration (Awen) and the Tale of Taliesin recounts her swallowing her servant Gwion Bach who is then reborn through her as the poet Taliesin.
Ceridwen is regarded by many modern pagans as the Celtic goddess of rebirth, transformation, and inspiration.
Bethan Ash is a textile artist living and working in Neath, South Wales.
Her formal training was in fashion, followed by a career as a fashion designer for a major clothing manufacturer; she has been making art quilts since 1980.
Fused and stitched collage / discharge and resist dyed fabric
NFS
This triptych was inspired by the story of Ceridwen, from the children’s book of Taliesin by Robert Nye.
Medieval Welsh poetry refers to her as possessing the cauldron of poetic inspiration (Awen) and the Tale of Taliesin recounts her swallowing her servant Gwion Bach who is then reborn through her as the poet Taliesin.
Ceridwen is regarded by many modern pagans as the Celtic goddess of rebirth, transformation, and inspiration.
Bethan Ash is a textile artist living and working in Neath, South Wales.
Her formal training was in fashion, followed by a career as a fashion designer for a major clothing manufacturer; she has been making art quilts since 1980.
Bethan Ash -
Wales
Twitter
Hand coiled nest /computer leads, washing line and cable ties.
NFS
For this Twitter piece I combined the traditional craft of basketry with contemporary items such as recycled computer cables, washing line, and cable ties to create a unique nest-like basket.
The nest was inspired by the modern form of communication, such as, the internet and modern communication platforms such as Twitter.
The fusion of ancient techniques with modern sustainability aims to reflect the interconnectedness
of the digital age and the importance of recycling and repurposing materials of today.
Bethan Ash is a textile artist living and working in Neath, South Wales.
Her formal training was in fashion, followed by a career as a fashion designer for a major clothing manufacturer; she has been making art textiles since 1980.
Hand coiled nest /computer leads, washing line and cable ties.
NFS
For this Twitter piece I combined the traditional craft of basketry with contemporary items such as recycled computer cables, washing line, and cable ties to create a unique nest-like basket.
The nest was inspired by the modern form of communication, such as, the internet and modern communication platforms such as Twitter.
The fusion of ancient techniques with modern sustainability aims to reflect the interconnectedness
of the digital age and the importance of recycling and repurposing materials of today.
Bethan Ash is a textile artist living and working in Neath, South Wales.
Her formal training was in fashion, followed by a career as a fashion designer for a major clothing manufacturer; she has been making art textiles since 1980.
Birgit Herzber-Jochum -
Germany
Thinking about all
Handwoven / Mixed Media
NFS
When we remember, the stories and experiences are deeply interwoven with us.
Everyone will weave their own memories and recall them in a quiet minute. Feel free to sit down for your own memories.
Birgit Herzberg-Jochum has been a freelance artist since 2001. She lives and works in Stuttgart, Germany.
Through her composed etchings, acrylics, and collages, she depicts domestic spaces that are places of contemplation and intimacy.
She experiments with textures and visualisations and shows an unusual spontaneity in her approach to materials.
The artist manages to effortlessly transcend the limits of the frame with ease, opening the viewer’s eye to the high level of intimacy that characterise her settings.
Handwoven / Mixed Media
NFS
When we remember, the stories and experiences are deeply interwoven with us.
Everyone will weave their own memories and recall them in a quiet minute. Feel free to sit down for your own memories.
Birgit Herzberg-Jochum has been a freelance artist since 2001. She lives and works in Stuttgart, Germany.
Through her composed etchings, acrylics, and collages, she depicts domestic spaces that are places of contemplation and intimacy.
She experiments with textures and visualisations and shows an unusual spontaneity in her approach to materials.
The artist manages to effortlessly transcend the limits of the frame with ease, opening the viewer’s eye to the high level of intimacy that characterise her settings.
Brenda Millar -
England
Behind Closed Doors
Hand embroidery / digital print on silk
NFS
Responding to the exhibition theme, my self-portrait piece, Behind Closed Doors, takes as its starting point Sylvia Gosse’s painting, The Sempstress, created in 1914.
Brenda is interested in the historical representation of art through textiles, its links to craft and domesticity and its relationship to current practice to comment on how women are represented in contemporary art.
Her research focus considers theories of the everyday, which is explored through a series of scenarios linking women, textiles, knowledge, skills, and history. I am curious about the current rejuvenation of sewing and what the relationship of domestic arts is to art practice.
I have shown moving image, textiles and installation in the UK, Europe and USA and recently a solo exhibition of my PhD work at the MC Gallery, University of Wolverhampton September-December 2023.
Hand embroidery / digital print on silk
NFS
Responding to the exhibition theme, my self-portrait piece, Behind Closed Doors, takes as its starting point Sylvia Gosse’s painting, The Sempstress, created in 1914.
Brenda is interested in the historical representation of art through textiles, its links to craft and domesticity and its relationship to current practice to comment on how women are represented in contemporary art.
Her research focus considers theories of the everyday, which is explored through a series of scenarios linking women, textiles, knowledge, skills, and history. I am curious about the current rejuvenation of sewing and what the relationship of domestic arts is to art practice.
I have shown moving image, textiles and installation in the UK, Europe and USA and recently a solo exhibition of my PhD work at the MC Gallery, University of Wolverhampton September-December 2023.
Carol Bartlett -
Wales
Mumble’s Pier
Textile / hand and machine embroidery.
NFS
Carol is a textile artist and urban sketcher with a particular interest in the past as a theme to explore in stitch and fabric collage.
Currently she is researching her own Welsh family history to produce stitched pictures to communicate it through art.
Every picture she makes tells a story and Carol brings character and depth which usually begins with her sketches or vintage photographs.
She combines her lifelong love of sewing and history into collaged and stitched pictures of people and buildings from the past and lately commissions of significant events.
Carol has exhibited widely and is an experienced textile art tutor.
She lives with her family in Penarth
Textile / hand and machine embroidery.
NFS
Carol is a textile artist and urban sketcher with a particular interest in the past as a theme to explore in stitch and fabric collage.
Currently she is researching her own Welsh family history to produce stitched pictures to communicate it through art.
Every picture she makes tells a story and Carol brings character and depth which usually begins with her sketches or vintage photographs.
She combines her lifelong love of sewing and history into collaged and stitched pictures of people and buildings from the past and lately commissions of significant events.
Carol has exhibited widely and is an experienced textile art tutor.
She lives with her family in Penarth
Carol Bartlet -
Wales
Mr Lea's Shop
Textile / hand and machine embroidery.
NFS
Carol is a textile artist and urban sketcher with a particular interest in the past as a theme to explore in stitch and fabric collage.
Currently she is researching her own Welsh family history in order to produce stitched pictures to communicate it through art.
Every picture she makes tells a story and Carol brings character and depth which usually begins with her sketches or vintage photographs.
She combines her lifelong love of sewing and history into collaged and stitched pictures of people and buildings from the past and lately commissions of significant events.
Carol has exhibited widely and is an experienced textile art tutor.
She lives with her family in Penarth
Textile / hand and machine embroidery.
NFS
Carol is a textile artist and urban sketcher with a particular interest in the past as a theme to explore in stitch and fabric collage.
Currently she is researching her own Welsh family history in order to produce stitched pictures to communicate it through art.
Every picture she makes tells a story and Carol brings character and depth which usually begins with her sketches or vintage photographs.
She combines her lifelong love of sewing and history into collaged and stitched pictures of people and buildings from the past and lately commissions of significant events.
Carol has exhibited widely and is an experienced textile art tutor.
She lives with her family in Penarth
Caroline Stealey -
Wales
Tidal Flow
Free motion machine embroidery / Applique, Inkjet print, Natural dye.
NFS
Tidal Flow is a mixed media textile piece and one of a series the artist made that relate to the historical form of the Severn Estuary and how that is changing with human interventions (i.e. bridges, transport and pollution etc).
The use of historical maps reminds us of the past landscape; the changing tidal flows, caused by manmade structures and pollution, are a sign of the future we are creating.
The piece started with cotton muslin, basically tie-dyed using river mud, around a found pebble on the river shore. This has been appliquéd to a ground made of cotton calico layered with a historical map, printed on tissue paper. Free Motion Embroidery has been used to appliqué the muslin to the map, following the un-dyed areas, which represent the rivulets seen in the river mud at low tide.
The threads carry on, past the edge of the ground, hanging free and changing, like flow of water in the estuary.
Cas Holmes -
England
Graffiti and Rose Bay Willowherb
Mixed media textile /stitch
NFS
The marks we make evidence the continual presence and interaction we have with the surrounding landscape.
My work demonstrates a need to find that place of interaction and celebrate the small joys to be found in the places where human and nature meets.
It also speaks of a need to find a better balance for the future where our marks and interventions are more sustainable, balanced, and less costly to the planet we inhabit.
Cas is an artist and author of Romani descent based in Kent. She has a degree in Fine Arts from University of Creative Arts, followed by research into papermaking and textiles in Japan (supported by the Churchill Fellowship and the Japan Foundation)
She teaches at the prestigious West Dean College where she was also a resident artist.
Mixed media textile /stitch
NFS
The marks we make evidence the continual presence and interaction we have with the surrounding landscape.
My work demonstrates a need to find that place of interaction and celebrate the small joys to be found in the places where human and nature meets.
It also speaks of a need to find a better balance for the future where our marks and interventions are more sustainable, balanced, and less costly to the planet we inhabit.
Cas is an artist and author of Romani descent based in Kent. She has a degree in Fine Arts from University of Creative Arts, followed by research into papermaking and textiles in Japan (supported by the Churchill Fellowship and the Japan Foundation)
She teaches at the prestigious West Dean College where she was also a resident artist.
Catherine Hiles -
Wales
Live in The Sunshine, Full Bloom
Weaving, curve stitching/Acrylic, Pastel, Silk Thread, Steel Pin on Wood
NFS
"As a child, I created simple string art in school, weaving colourful threads to form geometric patterns.
Recently, I rediscovered my childhood project and wondered how to evolve it into something more beautiful and contemporary.
Drawing from my travels and fascination with sacred geometry, I now use silk thread and fine pins to create intricate, layered designs on wood.
I experiment with curve stitching, weaving in negative space, and incorporating precious stones and driftwood sculptures.
My artistic journey is a continuous pursuit of pushing boundaries and exploring the intersection of textiles and contemporary art."
Live In The Sunshine Full Bloom
Weaving, curve stitching/Acrylic, Pastel, Silk Thread, Steel Pin on Wood
NFS
"As a child, I created simple string art in school, weaving colourful threads to form geometric patterns.
Recently, I rediscovered my childhood project and wondered how to evolve it into something more beautiful and contemporary.
Drawing from my travels and fascination with sacred geometry, I now use silk thread and fine pins to create intricate, layered designs on wood.
I experiment with curve stitching, weaving in negative space, and incorporating precious stones and driftwood sculptures.
My artistic journey is a continuous pursuit of pushing boundaries and exploring the intersection of textiles and contemporary art."
Live In The Sunshine Full Bloom
Christine Howell -
England
When the Meltwaters Flood
Wet felting / stitch / painting
NFS
I am a contemporary, abstract artist using the ancient skill of wet felt making as the starting point to create my artworks.
I combine the simple raw materials of wools, papers and textiles to create the felted ‘canvas’ onto which I respond with marks in stitch or inks.
During my artist s residency in Iceland, I witnessed the
power of huge blocks of ice slowly creaking around and on
top of each other, as depicted in my minimal use of a limited, muted colour palette.
My inspiration comes from being in expansive land or seascapes. I am looking to recreate my feelings of personal balance that I have when I am in these limitless landscapes.
I would like the viewer to approach my work with an equanimity that may take them to their inner place of calm.
Wet felting / stitch / painting
NFS
I am a contemporary, abstract artist using the ancient skill of wet felt making as the starting point to create my artworks.
I combine the simple raw materials of wools, papers and textiles to create the felted ‘canvas’ onto which I respond with marks in stitch or inks.
During my artist s residency in Iceland, I witnessed the
power of huge blocks of ice slowly creaking around and on
top of each other, as depicted in my minimal use of a limited, muted colour palette.
My inspiration comes from being in expansive land or seascapes. I am looking to recreate my feelings of personal balance that I have when I am in these limitless landscapes.
I would like the viewer to approach my work with an equanimity that may take them to their inner place of calm.
Christine Restal -
England
Presenting a Front Armed and Cuffed Yoked, Collared and Cuffed
Torn denim collaged / minimal hand quilting in the ditch.
NFS
I found a drawer filled with old denim shirts. I had known these shirts from new and they spoke to me of their wearer.
I took them apart and tore parts up. I laid these pleasing pieces out and decided I wanted them to appear to float.
Many people have used denim in quilts, from the Gees Bend quilters onwards, and their work was in my mind.
I always hope to evoke an emotional response from the viewer.
Christine retired early from a career in advertising and marketing to concentrate on textile art. She has been exhibiting for over twenty years in UK, Europe and USA. Her work is mainly abstract in expression but taking inspiration from the natural world or her own feelings and memories. She mainly uses her own dyed or hand painted fabrics or recycled textiles. She has work in private collections and the National Quilt Museum, Houston.
Torn denim collaged / minimal hand quilting in the ditch.
NFS
I found a drawer filled with old denim shirts. I had known these shirts from new and they spoke to me of their wearer.
I took them apart and tore parts up. I laid these pleasing pieces out and decided I wanted them to appear to float.
Many people have used denim in quilts, from the Gees Bend quilters onwards, and their work was in my mind.
I always hope to evoke an emotional response from the viewer.
Christine retired early from a career in advertising and marketing to concentrate on textile art. She has been exhibiting for over twenty years in UK, Europe and USA. Her work is mainly abstract in expression but taking inspiration from the natural world or her own feelings and memories. She mainly uses her own dyed or hand painted fabrics or recycled textiles. She has work in private collections and the National Quilt Museum, Houston.
Cristina Gabriela Hîrțescu -
Romania
VOW
Embroidery / collage / felt and yarn.
NFS
For a long time, during the communist regime, Romania’s borders were closed to Romanians. Traveling outside of the country was very difficult then, this was possible only with special permits.
Today, we can travel anywhere with ease, but considering recent global events, we must be aware that freedom is not something guaranteed and can be easily lost.
Through this artwork, the artist wanted to draw attention to the importance of preserving freedom but also to the necessity to protect all areas of our planet for future generations. To emphasize this last aspect the work was realised using zero waste principle.
Cristina has been passionate about visual arts since childhood. She graduated from the Dimitrie Cuclin Arts High School (2001) and the George Enescu University of Arts Iași, with a major in Decorative Arts - Clothing and Design.
Embroidery / collage / felt and yarn.
NFS
For a long time, during the communist regime, Romania’s borders were closed to Romanians. Traveling outside of the country was very difficult then, this was possible only with special permits.
Today, we can travel anywhere with ease, but considering recent global events, we must be aware that freedom is not something guaranteed and can be easily lost.
Through this artwork, the artist wanted to draw attention to the importance of preserving freedom but also to the necessity to protect all areas of our planet for future generations. To emphasize this last aspect the work was realised using zero waste principle.
Cristina has been passionate about visual arts since childhood. She graduated from the Dimitrie Cuclin Arts High School (2001) and the George Enescu University of Arts Iași, with a major in Decorative Arts - Clothing and Design.
Dawn Elliott Jones -
Wales
Untitled
Free motion stitch
NFS
"I'm drawn to the thrill of creating a new piece, scouring my studio for materials to inspire my art. I often repurpose pre-loved fabrics, waiting for the perfect moment to integrate them into my work.
My process begins with a blank canvas, rough sketch, and ink-washed background. I love how the ink bleeds, merging colour and pattern. Layers are built by adding thread, fibres, and fabrics, secured with free-motion stitching. I relish the freedom to use my needle as a paintbrush, creating textures and depth.
This piece remains untitled, inviting viewers to craft their own narrative. I aimed to evoke thoughts about memories, with the lone figure and reflections in the sand sparking questions about past relationships or uncertain futures. The heavy sky may suggest past grief or an uncertain future. I hope this piece sparks introspection as much as it did for me."
Free motion stitch
NFS
"I'm drawn to the thrill of creating a new piece, scouring my studio for materials to inspire my art. I often repurpose pre-loved fabrics, waiting for the perfect moment to integrate them into my work.
My process begins with a blank canvas, rough sketch, and ink-washed background. I love how the ink bleeds, merging colour and pattern. Layers are built by adding thread, fibres, and fabrics, secured with free-motion stitching. I relish the freedom to use my needle as a paintbrush, creating textures and depth.
This piece remains untitled, inviting viewers to craft their own narrative. I aimed to evoke thoughts about memories, with the lone figure and reflections in the sand sparking questions about past relationships or uncertain futures. The heavy sky may suggest past grief or an uncertain future. I hope this piece sparks introspection as much as it did for me."
Denise Blanchard -
Chile
Untitled
Paper sculpture
NFS
"I work with recycled materials, salvaging discarded fabrics, used tea bags, and abandoned books, among others. By respecting the inherent value of each material, I unlock its formal potential through repetition and manipulation. Using sewing and textile techniques, I create small modules that I then assemble into larger pieces or volumes. My daily process involves manual and artisanal skills, which imbue the materials with new significance as they transform from discarded waste to unique works of art.
Through this process, I transform everyday objects into plastic manifestations, imbuing them with new meaning and beauty. In essence, my artistic work is about finding beauty in the mundane and giving it new life.
By transforming tea bags, used fabrics, and abandoned books into symbols of creativity and expression, I celebrate the power of human imagination and the potential for rebirth in the most unexpected places."
Paper sculpture
NFS
"I work with recycled materials, salvaging discarded fabrics, used tea bags, and abandoned books, among others. By respecting the inherent value of each material, I unlock its formal potential through repetition and manipulation. Using sewing and textile techniques, I create small modules that I then assemble into larger pieces or volumes. My daily process involves manual and artisanal skills, which imbue the materials with new significance as they transform from discarded waste to unique works of art.
Through this process, I transform everyday objects into plastic manifestations, imbuing them with new meaning and beauty. In essence, my artistic work is about finding beauty in the mundane and giving it new life.
By transforming tea bags, used fabrics, and abandoned books into symbols of creativity and expression, I celebrate the power of human imagination and the potential for rebirth in the most unexpected places."
Dinahvagina -
Wales
Maquette 1
Hand stitch and applique
NFS
Tactile selection of varied textures to delight the touch with crevices, pockets, and holes to explore.
Experimental first test piece in a project named ‘Rude Cube’.
Our history as women includes sexual repression for a couple of hundred years and we are tainted with it still, women and girls can feel reluctant (even disgusted) about touching themselves, we see our bodies and the pleasure they offer belonging to men more than to ourselves.
I want my work to help us move beyond repression to a future where touching and appreciating touch is normal, where pleasure is experienced equally by consensual, nay eager, participants and orgasms are more equally distributed.
Hand stitch and applique
NFS
Tactile selection of varied textures to delight the touch with crevices, pockets, and holes to explore.
Experimental first test piece in a project named ‘Rude Cube’.
Our history as women includes sexual repression for a couple of hundred years and we are tainted with it still, women and girls can feel reluctant (even disgusted) about touching themselves, we see our bodies and the pleasure they offer belonging to men more than to ourselves.
I want my work to help us move beyond repression to a future where touching and appreciating touch is normal, where pleasure is experienced equally by consensual, nay eager, participants and orgasms are more equally distributed.
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