| Project Title | How the Light Gets In |
| Location | Creative Innovation Centre CIC, Taunton, Somerset, UK |
| Date | 2nd July – 2nd August 2025 |
Artists Statement:
Working largely with textiles, I create narrative tapestries exploring lived experiences of: memories, dreams, imagination, sadness, trauma and loss. I use recycled and repurposed fabrics for layering, and by incorporating painting, embroidery and appliqué, I make patchworks of texture and colour to create my work. Repurposed fabrics hold memories of the past, and by using them in this way, I aim to find new narratives, creating a sense of coherence; literally stitching together a sense of a reconstituted self.
Contextual Statement:
With this body of work, my intention was to explore experiences and perceptions of women from a feminist perspective. Elements of this work represent an exploration of the self against a backdrop of early trauma.
To create these pieces, I used a range of techniques within the textile arts. All the pieces are hand-sewn, hand-embroidered, hand-painted.
Textile art has a long association with therapeutic storytelling in many cultures around the world. The quiet, slow and repetitive nature of stitching naturally lends itself to reflection and contemplation. Textile art is significant in this way, due to both its ability to comfort and its quiet subversive power in raising awareness of difficult and often taboo subjects.
My choice of fabrics is determined by my context. Wanting to represent both the feminine body and its experiences, I was influenced by feminist literature regarding representations of the feminine in art. I largely use silks, satins, organza and velvets. These fabrics are highly suggestive of the sensuality of tactile expression. Similarly, I chose rich and deep colours, leading our thoughts to opulence and sensuality. Wanting to use rich colours within my work is a main driver for my painting of fabrics. I was gifted large amounts of ivory silk, and after experimentation, I have discovered rich tones, blending and bleeding of colours that would otherwise be unavailable.
Project Documentation:
As a part of my exhibition, I also produced a zine to accompany my artworks. A short film of this can be seen below.
Special thanks to:
Richard Holt and Andrew Knutt at Creative Innovation Centre; Simon Gough, photography.
My peer artists in The Peter Doigs, whose online presence for the past two years has been invaluable.
My close family and friends for their enduring support and encouragement – you know who you are!
Finally, my dog Goose, for constant distraction and silliness.
For further information: