New exhibition features beautiful weaving

Weaving was known in Shetland in prehistoric times and loom weights have often been found during archaeological excavations. Indeed, so significant were loom weights in the Norse period that soapstone, from which they were usually made, was known to Shetland’s Norse communities as klébergi, literally loom-weight stone. Place-names were derived from the word and you can read more about ‘kleber’, as it’s known in Shetland dialect, here.

Woven pieces from three Shetland makers feature in the exhibition, alongside those from twelve weavers, mostly based in Wales.

Deborah Briggs, who lives in Burra, is by training a scientist but, as a child, was taught to knit by her mother. Much more recently, she completed a two-year Master Weaver course led by master weaver Janet Phillips.

Deborah sees close parallels between patterns in science and in nature, particularly in the colourful displays of wild flowers that enliven Shetland landscapes in spring and summer. She blends that light and colour with inspiration from science. Her work is vibrant, with wonderful colour combinations, but is also precise in its composition and execution.

Another of the Shetland weavers is also based in Burra. Emma Geddes is a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art and, returning to Shetland, she set up her own company, Aamos Designs. She has also lectured on weaving at Shetland College, where the BA Contemporary Textiles course is widely regarded as a leader in the field.

Emma has a great respect for traditional techniques but updates them sensitively in creating unique and luxurious hand-woven fabrics used in fashion and interiors. Colour and pattern are used imaginatively and confidently.

The Shetland Tweed Company has been producing tweeds from its studio in Yell, one of Shetland’s northern isles, since 2016. Again, the colours of the Shetland landscape provide the palette from which patterns are created.

The company produces bespoke tweed for clients and also produces limited editions. The fabrics are colourful and can be used in clothing and interiors.

The majority of the exhibits come from Wales. Llio James grew up in Ceredigion, which hosted two traditional weaving mills. She has created a new body of work, entirely handwoven, for this exhibition.

One of the more unusual items is a piece by Meghan Spielman, which uses pale pink and cobalt silk warps, tied using a technique known as ikat. She worked with Madeleine Provost, a natural dye artist, to over-dye the warps to achieve rich coral and midnight blue shades.

Margo Selby works from Whitstable in Kent but her large reversible throw was produced in 100% lambswool in Scotland. Here, there’s a strong influence from Japanese textile design, incorporating patchwork elements.

Established more than a century ago and run by the same family since then, Melin Tregwynt is a small mill on the Pembrokeshire coast. Eifion and Amanda Griffiths draw on a large archive of traditional Welsh ‘tapestries’ to develop a range of contemporary designs.

Those are just some of the beautiful pieces in this very engaging show, which demonstrates a wide range of techniques and styles. It’s also good to see Shetland exhibitors’ work alongside pieces from farther afield, and of course that sort of interchange is always a spur to innovation and creativity. Shetland has always had a strong craft community but, over recent decades, it has expanded in scope, with several practitioners choosing to move to the islands.

Graeme Howell, who is Chief Executive at Shetland Arts, is pleased that the show highlights the cultural links between Wales and Shetland. “Textiles have long been a hugely important part of the culture in Shetland and we’re pleased to be showing three local makers alongside the touring show; Deborah Briggs, Emma Geddes of Aamos Designs and The Shetland Tweed Company.”

The exhibition is well worth a visit; it runs at the Bonhoga Gallery until 13 March. You can find full details of all the exhibitors here.