Trip to Contemporary Applied Art Gallery

I was advised by my tutor Simone to look at Emily Jo Gibbs stitched work at CAA.  As I have a new exhibition book, I went along and complied with my rule set - note event and date, make notes on something pertinent, draw something.

Emily Jo Gibbs makes exquisite stitched portraits, sometimes of the person, and sometimes a person represented by their tools.  I was very impressed with her artist statement:

Emily Jo Gibbs
Hand Embroidered Portraits, £1,300 each

After winning an award to create a new body of work in 2005, Emily Jo Gibbs started making hand embroidered drawings of sticks in jam jars, enjoying the quiet beauty of these everyday items.  Gibbs explores the idea of portraits, depicting the person through their workspace and tools: there is a very personal connection between a maker and their tools.  The pincushion is vital if you are working in textiles and they are often beautifully made in tiny needlepoint.  These pincushion portraits celebrate craft and people who make.

CAA member since 2015.

Emily Jo Gibbs, Self Portrait, 2016
(Courtesy of Emily Jo Gibbs)

How great is this!