Artisans Reunited: A Celebration of friendship, creativity and endurance.

About

The artists feel fortunate to have enjoyed such an enduring friendship and to be part of a something so inspiring and creative. This exhibition celebrates this camaraderie.

The collective - the majority of whom are textile designers - will each showcase pieces of their current work. The works range from paintings to textiles, encompassing both two dimensional and three-dimensional pieces using a variety of techniques and media.

The link between these artists started with their art school training In Farnham at West Surrey College of Art and Design (now University for the Creative Arts), it was at this college where this diverse group of people came from all over the UK to study. They were taught the fundamentals of drawing, painting and craft making skills.  With the methodology that originated from the Bauhaus school of art and design teaching system. Observational drawing underpinned this rigorous training which emphasised craft skills, a critical eye for aesthetic excellence and the ethos of William Morris : truth to materials, and that the same person should make a piece from start to finish ; in contrast to mass production . Each artist specialised in weaving, printing or sculpture, not only designing the artwork but also making it themselves.

The concept of the show was conceived before the global pandemic; however, the artists feel the message of the show is now more important and relevant than ever.

Featuring: Louise Dixon, Karen Hadfield, Joanna Kinnersly-Taylor, Sally Watt, Sarah Dennis, Debbie Threlfall, Greg Threlfall, Sally Seaward, Judith De St Croix, Franklyn Beckford, Sarah White, Catherine Hughes, Susan Howarth, Susannah Cartwright