the beaded chair

inspiration

I have a love of ethnographic art, antiques and folk costume from my childhood spent in Nigeria, Iran and India. The rich tapestry of beads transcends all religions and boundaries, not just as personal adornment but as cultural capsules with potent symbolism. They reflect our basic relationship to life on earth as well as death, reflecting our world view. The combination of chairs and beads is not new, together they create a powerful tool or talisman from which to worship, rise-up, to dictate and debate. Here I explore my own rich heritage with ceremony and craftsmanship.

process

I place each bead individually before full scale artwork is then sent to a family run embroidery house in India. They use tambour beading the likes of which you would see in couture houses (I trained in fashion design) to bead my pattern pieces. I then upholster them at my studio. I’m collaborating with a talented local furniture maker here in Devon and we are developing some one-of-a-kind pieces. Please check back soon to see our debut collection or subscribe to the newsletter for updates.

objective

To reconstruct the traditional formality of beading. Whilst still considered and maintaining its integrity placement doesn’t need to be uniform or geometric. Instead I aim for beadwork to feel more scattered, shapeshifting, and abstract allowing areas to ebb and flow.