Textile artist Anne Kelly’s densely embroidered artworks will travel to the Harley Foundation, Nottinghamshire at the start of 2023.
Showing 24 January to 12 March, ‘Well Travelled’ is a patchwork of Anne’s collected works which describe her memories of travel and journeys of the imagination.
The exhibition includes a life-size fabric canoe, complete with decorated paddle, a textile model of a Tudor house, and an array of beautiful, embroidered patchwork blankets.
In Anne’s hands, scraps of fabric, ephemera, images, and ideas are combined and transformed. The resulting multi-layered and densely stitched embroideries have been described as ‘small worlds’.
These small worlds are often a kind of travel diary, and not just from actual journeys but also Anne’s personal journey over time.
Anne derives immense joy and inspiration from new places and new people. She keeps many sketchbooks, where she collects images and ideas. But when making her work she likes to start with a piece of fabric – even a scrap – and build on that.
She is a collector (if not a hoarder) of textile-related flotsam and jetsam. She also collects memories; of places she has visited in person, and of places and scenes she has visited in exhibitions, in books and films.
Lisa Gee, Director of The Harley Foundation, said
“Anne’s work reminds us that wherever we are, and whatever we are doing, we can always journey through our imagination. We are asking visitors to tell us about their own journeys – real or imagined – by taking part in our new gallery activity. We are asking visitors to follow Anne’s lead and make their own fabric pictures for bunting which will fill the gallery space.”
Anne will also be at the Hope and Elvis textile workshop in the Harley Studios for classes in Spring 2023.
– ‘Well Travelled’ by Anne Kelly is on show at the Harley Foundation, Nottinghamshire from 24 January to 12 March 2023.
– The exhibition is free to enter and there is a large, free car park. The Gallery is open Tuesday – Sunday. Please check www.harleygallery.couk for opening times.
– The Harley Foundation is on the Welbeck estate, on the A60 south of Worksop. It is 15 minutes from both the A1 and M1.
– Please note that this exhibition is in the Harley Gallery. The neighbouring museum is closed 1 January – 24 March 2023.
– ‘Well Travelled’ is a touring exhibition from Ruthin Craft Centre. www.harleygallery.co.uk
Posted on 25 November 2022
