Hand-embroidered silk and freshwater pearls on woven jacquard in walnut Framed: 133 x 33 x 3 cm (3 x 13 × 1.2 in.)
Charlotte Edey (b. 1992) is a British artist and illustrator working across tapestry, embroidery and drawing. Magic realism, myth and symbolism as modes of cultural storytelling inform her interdisciplinary exploration of the intersections of identity.
Each of Edey's tapestries begins as a drawing, that is then translated via digital jacquard loom to create the finished work. The unique tapestries are embellished with silk and cotton hand-embroidery, freshwater pearls and beading. Each piece features monochrome warp fringing and multicolor weft fringing. The process draws parallels with a printing practice, while striking a conversation between material and theme. The legacy of tapestry and embroidery is interwoven with conflicting values of female labour. This tension between domestic and professional positioning, alongside embroidery’s role as a vehicle of record and resistance, allow the medium to enhance the message.
Almost, 2021, is an exploration of the limitations of language, of what can be lost in the attempt to articulate or name something that is felt. The threshold between the said and the unsaid. Framed in walnut, Almost is the artist's first circular tapestry and is embroidered with nine freshwater pearls.
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