My Story
“The act of making cloth connects me to a long line of weavers whose tradition is vanishing in a world of mass production. It is the space where storytelling, making and memory meet.”
It was my grandmother’s Jamdani sari that set me on my journey into cloth: a fascination with the stories of that fabric woven for the Moghuls to questions about the weaver’s relevance in the present day and the dynamics of heritage. Textiles evoke memory; the contours of the wearer remain where cloth sags, frays and stains. I still have that original Jamdani sari, lovingly hand woven all those years ago.
I am intrigued by the imperfections in hand woven fabric, the randomness of pattern and faded narratives embedded in cloth. Flaws give a cloth value, signalling the hand of the maker. This theme is reflected in my own hand made pieces often dyed to seep colour and expose the threads where warp and weft fail to meet. My work can literally be ‘...traced back to the event of a thread’ as sections of warp come away from the cloth and then rejoin to reveal the hands that make it continually deconstructing and reconstructing the same cloth.
By highlighting the geometry of weave and playing with strong colour inspired by my own cultural journey from Bangladesh, I like to bring a modern aesthetic to an ancient craft. My work is often influenced by the sharp lines of Modernist Bauhaus design interwoven with pops of vibrant colour. The pieces have a duality about them that can’t be placed, such as the ethereal Jamdani muslin scarves which create a sense of light and space but layer with solid, dark motifs or my contemporary but cosy blankets.
There is an emphasis on the local, regional practices that sustain communities, tell stories and remind us of the value of making. Communities such as the Jamdani weavers of Dhaka who weave what the Romans once called “woven air”, a thousand year old technique that has UNESCO World Heritage Status. My UK mill woven pieces also explore a lost weaving heritage, manipulating traditional double cloth techniques without traditional patterns. I never compromise on quality and my British blankets are woven in a Welsh Mill with yarn spun in Yorkshire that feels like cashmere. The relationship between people, place and environment are essential elements that run through my work. All my pieces are sold with a card that carries the signature of the weaver and a map of its heritage; for beautiful things take time to make and builds on the skills of a past generation. A crafted piece is to be cherished forever.
Awards
Cockpit Arts and Clothworkers Foundation Award winner 2016
Crafts Council Hothouse Programme awardee 2017
1st Class BA Hons ‘Best in Show’ for final year degree Summer Exhibition / ‘Heals Discovers’
“The Cass Dissertation Award” for outstanding research and highest Dissertation mark
National Finalist for Bemz for IKEA 2015
Finalist for SDC International Design Award. Judges Highly Commended Award, 2015
Winner of UKBCCI Innovation Award, 2017
Winner of British Muslim Awards 2018, Creativity Category
Winner of the New Designers ‘One Year On’ Development Award 2018
Exhibitions
Aram Gallery, Covent Garden: ‘Hands On’ exhibition August 2016
The New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham, 2017
Spring Show at Mint Gallery 2018
Shown at ‘Indigo’, MOOD, ‘Tent London’ at the London Design Festival 2015, 2016, 2017
Curated show “Making Goode’ by Dan Goode Handmade Chelsea 2017 / One year On 2018
Collaboration with ‘Citizens of the World’ Refugee Choir for woven artwork 2018
Selected for 100% Design Show: 100% Futures Exhibition 2018 curated by Barbara Chandler, Design Editor of Evening Standard Homes and Property.
Selected for Form + Line|Fortnum & Mason x Cockpit Arts May 2019
The National Centre for Craft & Design: One Year In: Lucy Grainge & Majeda Clarke 2019
Top Draw, London 2020
Weave it! curated by Decorating Dissidence, London 2020
Focus, Design Centre Chelsea Harbous, London 2021
Decorex International, London 2021
Crafts Council Gallery, London 2022
The Future of Craft, London 2022
Materials Matters, London 2022
