Alice Burnhope, Caitlin Hinshelwood, Danielle Green, Deborah Manson, Ferren Gipson, House of Quinn, Jacob Monk, Johanna Tagada Hoffbeck, Kimberley Cookey-Gam, Leily Mojdehi, Louisa Loakes, Merissa Hylton, Pamela Abad, Poppy Fuller Abbott, Samantha Russell, Sarabi Hawke, Tessa Silva, Tom Collison, Vicky Cowin, Woo Jin Joo
Staffordshire St presents A Textile Assembly, curated by Craft Show: an exhibition of textiles and textile art opening as a part of London Craft Week’s official schedule. Showcasing the work of both celebrated and emerging makers the exhibition will explore textile construction and the personal stories woven into them.
Craft Show has assembled an exciting group of makers, bringing together works from quilters Ferren Gipson and House of Quinn; weavers Jacob Monk, Pamela Abad and Vicky Cowin, printers Lousia Loakes and Caitlin Hinshelwood, natural dyer Samantha Russell and crocheter Kimberly Cookey-Gam hosting a variety of approaches to the medium.
Textiles are storytellers. They have a language we all speak, having spent our lives wrapped and dressed in, sleeping under and sitting on them. The universality of textiles creates a vessel to tell the stories that are often unheard.
Historically Art and Craft have been deliberately delineated, obscuring certain voices while prioritising others. By placing works of craft and textiles in a traditional gallery setting, A Textile Assembly begins to undo this imbalance, giving these objects space to breathe. The stories of the makers, those who taught them and the makers that came before them have been dyed, stitched, woven and knotted into the objects themselves.
The act of making will be at the heart of the space, with a programme of hands-on workshops, drawing inspiration from the exhibition itself. From natural dye and embroidery to yarn art and quilting, the exhibition will be alive with the hum of conversations and craftspeople sharing their skills.
Craft Show, founded by two female makers in South East London in 2017, celebrates modern craft. By makers, for makers, it was born out of the belief that works of craft deserve the same space and attention as works of art. Their shows have a strong storytelling element, using craft objects and textiles to explore themes in modern craft. Craft Show have hosted exhibitions as a part of London Craft Week regularly since 2017 in Copeland Gallery and their own gallery in a Peckham railway arch, and have hosted workshops and talks at Peckham Festival, Craft Central and The National Portrait Gallery.