Exhibition
Winifred Nicholson: Cumbrian Rag Rugs
25 Oct 2024-23 Mar 2025
MIMA
Middlesbrough TS1 2AZ
'Animal Squares', 1960s. Designed by Winifred Nicholson, made by Florence Williams. Private Collection.
Overview
MIMA presents an exhibition dedicated to artist Winifred Nicholson’s relationship with the tradition of rag rug making. Featuring around 40 artworks from the 1920s to 1970s, the exhibition offers a unique insight into Nicholson’s artistic collaborations and relationship to her home in Cumbria.
Best known for her luminous flower paintings, Nicholson (1893-1981) was an influential figure in British 20th century art. Presenting 28 rag rugs, many of which have never previously been shown in public, this exhibition shines a light on an unknown aspect of her work.
Nicholson’s family lived in Cumberland, as it was then known, and in 1923 she first encountered the rag rug making tradition through her neighbour, Margaret Warwick. The exhibition presents rugs designed by Nicholson, her family, and friends, which were crafted by women from the rural farming community near Hadrian’s Wall in Cumbria.
Nicholson’s creative collaboration with neighbouring women, formed part of a revival of the traditional craft in the 1960s and 1970s. As well as designs by Nicholson’s grandchildren and grandnieces, we present a rug designed by her close friend Li Yuan-chia, an artist who led the LYC Museum & Art Gallery at the converted Bankside Farmhouse in the village of Banks, Cumbria, from 1972-1983.
Rag rugs, also known as hooky rugs or proggy mats, were hardwearing rugs popular in the mining villages and rural cottages of northern England in the early 20th century. The rugs were made from strips of second-hand clothing and textiles, which were occasionally dyed bright colours. These strips were pushed or pulled through a hessian backing using a tool called a ‘proddy’, to create the rug.
A series of Nicholson’s paintings are shown alongside the rugs, and a display of sketches, tools, postcards and a newspaper clipping reveal some of Nicholson’s inspirations and techniques. The exhibition is curated in partnership with art historian Jovan Nicholson, who has authored a new book, Winifred Nicholson: Cumbrian Rag Rugs, Paul Holberton Publishing.
The exhibition is accompanied by workshops and activities promoting contemporary making. Winifred Nicholson: Cumbrian Rag Rugs tours to Tullie, Carlisle, in April 2025.