ALICE KETTLE
On first encountering the colourful, often enormous artworks of Alice Kettle, one would be forgiven for mistaking them for paintings. From a distance, her shimmering, abstract figures, set against the brightest backgrounds of electric blue, sunshine yellow and hot coral and pink, appear to be drawn with the dynamic lines and marks of the brush stroke. But a closer look reveals that it is not paint that is bringing these canvases sometimes as large as eight metres by three metres - to life, but rather stitches of thread. Alice Kettle is a textile artist who, in place of the painter's brush, uses a sewing machine to produce her exuberant and often poignant artworks.
Professor of Textile Arts at Manchester School of Art, Manchester Metropolitan University, Alice has been working in free machine embroidery and championing the power of stitch since the late 1980s. As well as making her own work (represented by the Candida Stevens Gallery), she leads the design and craft research group at Manchester and, down the years, has been involved in numerous public and community projects, which she is hugely passionate about. For her latest, the Thread Bearing Witness project, first shown at the Whitworth in 2018, she worked with refugees to create three enormous embroidered panels - Ground, Sea and Sky - each one representing their experiences of migration and displacement.
In March, Alice received the highest accolade when she won the Brookfield Properties Craft Award at the Crafts Council's annual Collect Fair for her contribution to craft. The prize means that three of her pieces will be purchased for the Crafts Council's permanent collection, and exhibitions of her work will be held in London this summer.
Alice is still digesting this exciting news when H&A caught up with her at her home studio in Frome.
Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
BULGARIA'S BEJEWELLED PAST
Buyers from around the world flocked to Geneva to bid on courtly jewels amassed by Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria and his family over a century ago - a collection that had lain untouched for many decades, discovers Caroline Wheater
THE ANTIQUES THAT SHAPED ME Georgie Wykeham
The interiors and furniture designer reflects on her antiques-filled childhood and favourite finds
Baukaus INVISIBLE REVOLUTION
The movement is predicted to make waves in 2025, and it’s easy to see why: its sleek lines and unfussy forms changed the way we approach interiors and today the style looks as fresh as ever
Enthusiasms
This Month: Dummy Boards
ECLECTIC Edwardian
In bringing this impressive period property in London back to life, its owner, Alice Merritt, has combined bold prints and quirky antiques to create a glamorous yet lived-in feel
A true ORIGINAL
In the Milanese home of architects Federica Gambigliani Zoccoli and Giovanni Maria Sacchi, an imaginative approach has created a unique, characterful and warm home, where there's a new surprise at every turn
Secrets of the STONES
Britain's ancient sites, with their many mysteries, have always inspired a sense of awe and wonder.James Alistair Henry shares some of his favourites
Natural Beauty
Derived from the flax plant, linen is one of the oldest textiles in the world, and its future is looking bright, too, says Celia Rufey
Displaying art
Christopher Peter’s apartment reflects his previous career as an art gallery curator. Here, he shares his tips on how best to display collections
SHADES OF WELLNESS
There’s a powerful link between our homes and our happiness, with interiors playing a crucial role in enhancing this connection. Read on for eight easy decorating ideas to boost wellbeing...
