Weaving in a New Direction

Since we work with textiles, we’re always excited to see how artists push textiles to new limits and create contemporary artworks from textile traditions.

Ptolemy Mann creates colourful and painterly work. Her handwoven wall pieces are all made using hand-dyed thread, she builds chromatic bands which buzz and blend beautifully. 

Mann is passionate about colour theory which she says underpins her work - she says "Recently I've got bolder and more experimental with colour, allowing something unconsciously emotional to take place. I'm a fan of abstract expressionism. Mark Rothko is my favourite artist".

Mann says she also has a Bauhaus philosophy of product and art making; an idea of uniting creativity and manufacture which the Bauhaus movement hoped would rejuvenate design for everyday life. As well as her large scale pieces, Mann produces commercial furnishings including a range of fabrics, rugs, bed linen and cushions and we love that her work remains functional in this way.

We were also intrigued by Cecilie Bendixen's 'Draped Nimbostratus' which represents a hybrid form of design - blending textiles, sculpture and architecture. It is made from wool and polyester and designed to absorb sound so that it disappears, creating a beautifully poetic, cloud-like piece.