Showing posts with label ikat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ikat. Show all posts

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Ptolemy Mann, Ruthin Craft Centre

There is a truly sumptuous feast for the eyes exhibition at Ruthin Craft Centre which will be closing on the 15th January, so I urge you to go see this wonderful celebration of Ptolemy Mann's work in the primary gallery space whilst you can.

Ptolemy is one of the leading woven textile artists working in the UK at the moment, renowned for her ikat colour satuated artworks which adorn the walls of numerous public and private spaces. In recent times she has developed her signature style into digital prints which have opened up a whole new commercial avenue for her to exploit.  The exhibition presents these digital prints as fabric lengths, garments, furniture upholstery and cushions, alongside her handwoven ikats, and also her rug collaborations with Christopher Farr.  There are also some framed prints of her architectural colour facade designs.

Woven rugs on wall and floor - a collaboration with Christopher Farr


New hand dyed & handwoven ikats stretched over circular frames

I covet this sofa by Kristian Stringer upholstered in jacquard woven ikat effect fabric by Ptolemy

Detail of tufted rug
If you can't manage to visit Ruthin to see the show, you can order a catalogue direct from the gallery.


These pictures are all from Ptolemy's blog 'Significant Colour' which she started writing last year. Its a fantastic blog which I thoroughly recommend subscribing to.  She is generous in sharing her inspirations, preoccupations and thoughts about her all consuming passion for colour in all its guises.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Laura Daley

The River Thames by Night (detail)

The River Thames by Night
 A little while ago I was invited to the University of Creative Arts to talk about my work and to do tutorials with the textiles students. One of the final year students I met was Laura Daley who showed me some utterly exquisite samples which I knew were going to develop into something showstopping. I'm therefore delighted that she went on to win the prestigious British Contract Furnishing Association (BCFA) Award at New Designers last month. 

Her graduation collection of work is a highly sophisticated interpretation of photographs of city lights by night. Hand-dyed spun silk weft yarns have been hand-woven in satin and sateen constructions that perfectly capture the essence of her photographs. She has also managed to bring a fresh aesthetic to the ancient art of ikat weaving through her judicious eye for composition and restraint.

I look forward to watching her career develop...... I feel quite sure she's going places.