Textile art today struggles to shake off its associations with sentimentality, domesticity and feminity. These cosy connotations, however, allow artists to direct their audience toward unexpected conceptual territory. Creature Comforts presents works by artists who subvert the assumptions about textiles, imbuing their work with strangeness, energy and intensity.
The works are made using a variety of techniques, from tapestry weaving to knitting and soft sculpture, amongst others. They touch on themes of the domestic and reinterpret the tradition of this time-consuming craft. What results from this subversive approach is surreal imagery, luscious landscapes and decidedly strange creatures.
Jennifer Guerrini Maraldi (Director of JGM Gallery) says that "I am often drawn to textile works for the skill and warmth intrinsic to the medium. When Karolina Dworska and I began curating Creature Comforts I couldn't help but image the exhibiting artists at work in their studios, knitting, quilting and embroidering these powerful works."
Karolina Dworska (Curator, Gallery Assistant at JGM Gallery) says that "The exhibition showcases work that is not only beautiful, but also grapples with complex conceptual themes. Each artist is an expert in their respective craft and each piece of work has been painstakingly constructed, often using natural or reused materials. To see all this work in one place is truly a feast for the eyes."
Creature Comforts includes work by Alice Kettle, Andia Newton, Elina Flyrin, Freddie Robins, Hamish Halley, Heidi Pearce, Karolina Dworska, Lara Salous, Liza Dickson, Lola Pedersen, Martin Maloney, Molly Kent, Sebastian Sochan and Woo Jin Joo.
