Area of Research Expertise

Contemporary textile practice UK and Japan, textile craft, textile as intervention in the built environment, textile and narrative, textile and cultural identity.

Research Profile

My background is one of textile practice, within the studio and as a curator of exhibitions. My research is located in the processes of realising form, structure and surface in textiles. The historical link between tapestry and narrative, and the inherent narrative of textile, are at the centre of that research. Narrative has also provided the direction of my research; each project is a consequence of the previous one.

My curatorial work has encompassed all aspects of textile practice: interiors, fashion, architectonic textiles, textiles that engage with current contextual discourse. A strong element in my research has been that of knowledge transfer, the links that can be made between HEI and the Museums and Gallery Sector.

My research investigates the extent to which contemporary textile practice that is emerging from a strong traditional practice is an indication of specific cultural identity and the degree to which the outcomes are mediated by overlapping global influences. The research to date has been carried out in UK and Japan. It is presently being extended to Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland and Korea, areas of strong traditional and vigorous contemporary textile practice. The research is examined against the background of shifting experiences of culture and tradition as reflected in contemporary work, offering a framework for determining the significance of cultural specificity in the context of trans-national and cross-cultural influences.

Research Degree Supervision

Contemporary Textile practice and curatorship