Work

My work is a multi-layered process using a variety of substrates and techniques. I design all the fabrics used in my work. Through continual manipulation I print, draw, photograph and stitch, repeating this process to create multiple iterations and layers to my designs. Much of my process investigates pattern and its transformation through surface manipulation. I use many traditional hand methods of stitching such as pleating and smocking to physically alter my original designs. 

Frequently my work starts in the digital realm, whether photographing an object or one of my own paintings, it serves as inspiration for new work. Many of my images are everyday scenes or objects of purpose that appear mundane but feature a beautiful shape or colour that’s a perfect jumping off point to create a textile. When I have an idea for a new piece, I rarely sketch, I simply start making. The material is my sketchbook helping me to visualize my ideas.

Celebrating time honored methods and combining them with digital processes I create a dialogue between the old and new, but the craft of making is the most precious part to me, the diligence to create, the perfection of a repeating, precise process, its my form of meditation. The Arts and Crafts movement and the aesthetic traditions from Japan have taught me about making time for creativity, the importance of quality and the honesty of imperfections. Japan showed me how to find creativity in something as simple as a plate or a piece of cloth: to see the art in the everyday.

Info

York, England

ealish@ealishwilson.com