Every stitch embodies dedication with this textile selection. From hand-stitched fabric to vintage ribbons, the works are wonderful demonstrations of the detail and dexterity necessary for textiles with a contemporary edge. Featuring textile makers Emily Jo Gibbs, Dr Hannah White and Ealish Wilson. The work is available online at caagallery.com and at our Marylebone Gallery following its showcase at Somerset House during Collect Art Fair 2024.
Emily Jo Gibbs creates hand-stitched Portraits and Still Lives with a graphic quality, observing the quiet beauty of the overlooked. Gently advocating the value of making by creating works that celebrates the skill, dexterity and the creative problem solving of people who make things.
For Collect 2024, Emily showed a series of applique pieces inspired by a recent trip to Japan. She returned full to the brim with ideas and inspiration. Her piece Cloud was inspired by a trip they took to Hajone to view Mount Fuji. Catching a view is always a bit of a gamble because clouds can obliterate a view, but they were lucky and from the shore of Lake Ashi they watched as a single little cloud moved away from the mountain top to reveal all her splendour. The day Emily visited Saijo-ji Temple Moss Garden, she was equally lucky, it was soft rain and the damp heightened the green velvetiness of the moss carpet, it was utterly enchanting and inspired the piece Moss Garden. Her third piece Rain was not only inspired by the weather but also the dimensions of obi (kimono belts). In the piece, Emily has used long stitches to attach hundreds of small pieces of organza to the linen banner. Each organza strip is frayed by hand, the pieces move from dark blues and charcoal at the top through to pale blue greys and mossy greens at the bottom.
As a textile artist and weaver, Dr Hannah White is fascinated by how textiles can be constructed to create architectural sculptural forms. Her work explores the interplay between the patterns within the woven structure of her fabrics, form and light. Through materials-led exploration she uses woven and stitched threads to create three-dimensional wall based and free-standing textile artworks and sculptures.
Hannah's Ammonite Shadow series is inspired by the sculptural qualities of Ammonites. The pleated forms spiral and curve, creating contemporary textile fossils. Different lighting conditions transform the sculptures, amplifying their structure. As sunlight moves across them, it casts a series of changing shadows throughout the day. As the woven patterns follow the undulating contours, distinctive markings appear, akin to the patterns found on the surface of shells. The blue and bronze colours reference the hues created by copper mineral deposits found in rare ammonite fossils discovered within specific rock substrates.
Ealish Wilson specialises in hand stitched smocking, repeated print designs and incorporating unusual materials to create texture and form. Combining digital and hand processes adds layers to the work. The neckpiece uses vintage Swiss ribbon from early 1900s. The ribbon would have been used for clothing and Ealish decided to use smocking for the tradition of technique and added mizujiki strings and tassel ends to create movement. These pieces take on a life of their own like a precious antiquity from a museum collection but with a contemporary twist.
