Guild Graduates 2023 – Part Two

Each year “Immediate Live” and the Embroiderers’ Guild provide exhibition space and support to a selection of graduates at the Knitting and Stitching Shows in London and Harrogate. 

In November we looked at the three of the Guild graduates. Here we look at the next four. 


Hannah Glossop – “My collection invokes fantasy and imagination of the unknown through, playful forms, imaginative pattern and texture. Sustainability is at the forefront of my work, reusing plastic waste and recycling fabrics. I hope to spread awareness of the impact of plastic pollution on marine life by showcasing the beauty of sea creatures through textile application. My passion for the experimental is shown throughout my collection, developed through my time specialising in mixed media at De Montfort University. My future aspirations are to gain experience in industry creating embroidery designs and prints and inspire the next generation to adore textiles as much as me”.

Work by Hannah Glossop

Rehana Adams-Bell – “My collection explores the potential for textured prints, motifs, mark-making and illustrative compositions to tell a historical story and encourage the physical and emotional strength of identity within the black community.  Drawing inspiration from the Chokwe mask, used in celebrative ceremonies, they depict the beautiful ancestry of young African females. Providing a new and unique meaning of the mask, the same high foreheads and balanced features are re-interpreted into a bespoke contemporary fashion context. By showcasing black beauty by using practical processes such as tufting, felting, machine embroidery, painting and sublimation, this collection further questions current society’s beauty ideologies and provides much needed representation.”

Work by Rehena Adams-Bell

Francesca Power – “My collection is titled ‘Tree of Life’ and is inspired by the peculiarities of Hieronymus Bosch’s “Garden of Earthly Delights” [1515], exploring the mystery of the ‘unseen realm’: Perfection to Disruption, Peace to Corruption. The collection revolves around fantastical armour for the cherubim guarding the Tree of Life alongside undergrowth, strange botanical florals and Fibonacci’s pattern in the Garden of Eden then digitally mutating into darkness. I have developed my own crystals grown on silk and use natural biodegradable materials that can return to the Garden it was forged in. A romantic reaction to the age of the digital, promoting a return to the natural and the spiritual.”

Close up pf Scarves: Rehana Adams-Bell

Lizzie Gray – ” My passion for textiles started at a young age when I often worked on small projects with my grandmother. Through these experiences I immersed myself into the world of textiles, culminating into an opportunity to attend the Royal School of Needlework. My practice embraces the tactile quality of embroidery, creating pieces that emphasise the haptic experience of the viewer. I take inspiration from anatomy and the lived experience. 
Having had a fascination with anatomy since a young age, my work shows the intrinsic beauty of the human body. In my latest project ‘Inside and Out’ I explore selected anatomical imagery through embroidery.”

Work by Lizzie Gray

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