STRANDS OF PLACE AND TIME, GAWTHORP HALL
Explore a fascinating exhibition bringing together new textile, film and ceramic work by Manchester School of Art’s Alice Kettle, Jane McKeating, Elnaz Yazdani, Nigel Hurlstone and Poppy Cartwright, with a textile installation by Omaid, a local group of refugees and asylum seekers newly-arrived in the north-west from around the world. Don’t miss your chance to meet some of the artists throughout September and October – view our what’s on page for details.
A diverse mix of textiles from Africa, India, China, Persia, Greece, Switzerland and France inspired the artists and makers. See the work they have created in response to these textiles displayed throughout Gawthorpe Hall, which is the ancestral home of the textile collection’s founder Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth.
‘Strands of Place and Time’ has been made possible with Arts Council England National Lottery Project Funding and the exhibition workshops are supported by Padiham Townscape Heritage with Heritage Lottery Funding.
Here Elnaz writes about her inspiration for this work:
“On a research trip to Gawthorpe Textiles Collection I was drawn to an 18th century panel of Persian Goldwork, due to my Persian cultural heritage.
“My father came to the UK in 1978 on a programme set up by the Shah of Iran and British Petroleum to train young men to work on oil super-tankers in the Iranian merchant navy. He met my mother, fell in love, married and started a family. The Iranian revolution began in 1979 followed by the Iran-Iraq war in 1980. After an oil tanker my father was meant to be on board was struck by an Exocet missile, claiming the life of one of his best friends, he left the merchant navy and settled with my mother and us in the UK.
“The method of embroidery used in the Persian panel is zardozi. The name originates from two Persian (Farsi) words: ‘zar’ meaning ‘gold’ and ‘dozi’ meaning ‘work’. I have created a series of contemporary neckpieces that looks at the form and structure of the various threads used in zardozi. For example, bullion threads are essentially a hollow spring, which I enlarged by playing with variations of spring formation, hollow rubber threads and crystal beads. I have chosen to work with an industrial colour and material palette to represent the contrast between the heritage and country my father left behind and the industrial nature of the engineering work he performed when he first moved to the UK.”
