Carousel is an eclectic group of London based artists who enjoy exhibiting their experimental textiles. They work collaboratively to inspire a shared passion for fibre, stitch, print and mixed media.
As a group they came together after meeting at the advanced textile workshop at a college in Lambeth and come from a wide variety of backgrounds, from social work and education to musician and carnival costume designer. The group name reflects a group in motion but with a nod to playfulness. They have a regular programme of pop up exhibitions in the open air.
The London Threads theme came about because they all have connections to London through family, working and artistic lives and wanted to tell their stories though their textile work. Diverse inspirations include personal history, a court dressmaker, original designs for train fabrics, hidden rivers. Others are inspired by the fabric of London itself, its skyline, pavements and its textile and clothing history.
The group challenged themselves to think beyond the surface and using a firm foundation in textile technique each artist has developed their individual theme in their own style. Techniques used include printing, dyeing, weaving, knitting, shibori, machine and hand embroidery. Colour plays a large part in the work and the interplay of colour and texture informs the finished pieces.
Artists
Alex Mayer
Frances Arnold
Sheila Dainow
Karen Morton
Rosaline Darby
Jackie O’Malley
Ruth Darby
Brenda Parsons
Fiona Espenhahn
Sanae Saragai
Julieta Gimpel
Sue Walker
Judith Gubbay
Marilyn Williams
Sue Kibby