BRITISH designer Helen Yardley will celebrate 40 years of her design studio practice with a solo exhibition in Ruthin.
The Drawing for Floors exhibition will see the artist bring her signature style of colourful and bold abstract rugs and wall hangings to all three galleries at the Ruthin Craft Centre from October 1 until January 8.
Focusing on Helen’s experience and knowledge as a designer, craftsperson, the exhibition celebrates Helen’s distinctive and innovative style.
Combining both classic archive pieces (Triptych Lipstick – 2001, Rimini Gold -1997) alongside new, unseen designs for 2022 (Larch, Watermelon and Flow), the event marks the start of a celebration of four decades of her design practice.
Helen established her studio in London in 1983, after having studied textile design at the Royal College of Art.
‘Drawings for Floors’ will cross over all three galleries at the centre, with twenty full-sized hand-tufted and hand-knotted rugs, and over half a dozen acoustic felts, runners and flat weaves installed into the space.
These will be exhibited as an interactive display with visitors encouraged to wander around, through and below the detailed works.
The inner workings perspective of Helen’s practice, space and thoughts will also be highlighted in one gallery, where a film in conversation with Helen and showing excerpts of studio life will be shown next to drawings, sketch book ideas, examples of past commissions, yarn tufts and ephemera.
The gallery will complement the final finished textiles on view, allowing the visitor to experience the full creative process.
Of her technique, Helen aid: “I approach making rugs as if they were large drawings for the floor; a form of practical artwork.
“Starting with small gouache paintings, the shapes and symbols are re-occurring motifs which carry underlying resonance and meaning. Many forms of visual and emotional experience filter into these drawings, so although the work may be seen as abstract, it is far from it.
“In translating these paintings into rugs the presence of the human hand is crucial and retaining the dynamic energy epitomises, for me, the essence of the hand made.
“My original designs are made in my London studio, where colour balances can be adjusted and I can refine the drawing to its purest essentials. Colour is as important as drawing and can be used intuitively, emotionally or intellectually.
“It has a unique ability to express a mood or tone directly to the heart. All of the yarn colours I use have all been dyed to our unique studio palette.
“Bespoke commissions are made in our London Bridge studio, but I work with experts both in the UK, and Nepal, to take my prototypes to the next stage. All our hand-tufted rugs are made in Yorkshire, whilst the hand-knotted rugs are made by skilled artisans in Nepal.”
The chance to show at Ruthin Craft Centre, marking such an auspicious occasion, is of special significance to Helen because of family ties to the area.
Helen’s mother was born and raised in Ruthin, and Helen was christened in St Peter’s Church and spent many happy summer holidays in Ruthin.
A broad selection of items will be on sale from the exhibition and prices start from £300 upwards - bespoke commissions are available for all items.
READ MORE:
‘Power-folk’ band Calan set to storm St Asaph Cathedral with ‘hometown show’
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here