Rethread the Loom

is a chance to reflect on the creative outcomes and working processes of Weavers, Chantelle Folarin, Gugan Gill, Mahawa Keita, Clare Langford, Andrée Walker and Theo Wright, who undertook micro-residencies in the IKON Gallery as part of the hugely popular exhibition last year. This was the second in IKON’s trilogy of exhibitions inviting visitors to observe, engage with and participate in traditional and contemporary art and craft practices. The series champions valuable specialist workshop provision and expertise that exists within educational institutions within the region.

In the textiles are clear evidence of woven textiles as a rich expressive language, rooted in tradition but highly relevant as a means of shaping contemporary culture. The exhibition highlights a diversity of practice, ways of thinking and transforming materials. An AVL Studio Dobby loom will again take centre stage. Combining the tradition of hand weaving and computer-aided design, the loom will be activated by BCU Artists in Residents and Textile Design academics. Demonstrating an interrelationship between technical and creative thinking that embodies a STEAM approach, the exhibition provides visitors with a rare opportunity to see the process and outcomes of woven textile construction up close.