As a textile worker whose practice blurs the line between fine art and design, I am interested in the intersection of functionality and painterliness. I consider my printed quilts to be soft sculptures and though they exist as 3D objects they are also intended to be handled and lived with. For this work, I have chosen to push the 3D element of the work and introduced wool batting. This adds a good deal of lift and an element of softness to the wall piece, inviting touch and drawing the viewer in.

I brewed inks and dyes from food waste and locally foraged plant matter. I hand-paint the dyes directly onto the base fabric and on top of the printed pigments, adding a depth of colour and fluidity to the structures and shapes present in the work. Physically breaking down and combining materials to create colour feels alchemical, and adds a layer of uncertainty and uniqueness every time the process is approached.

I make my work in Leith, Edinburgh, which has a crest. It represents a ship and waves, and the motto is Persevere. Life events have meant that themes of resilience and perseverance have been present in my work lately. This piece is a continuation of a series of gestural, painterly quilts that explore the tension between solid shapes; watery colour and negative space. I have introduced my own symbolic take on the repetitive element of the traditional Japanese sashiko pattern Seigaiha: blue sea and waves, to represent perseverance.

My intention is for my hand-painted, hand-stitched works to draw the viewer in and create areas of interest and contemplation, and that the physicality of making the pieces shines through. I intend for the audience to be soothed and enveloped by the tactility of the pieces.

This work was first exhibited at Collect 2024, with Craft Scotland.

An edition of one.

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