Exhibition at Chequer Mead
This was the exhibition showing all the 77 UK entries completed to support a self-help embroidery project in Afghanistan. Ann printed details about the challenge in our Feb 2009 Newsletter and then the UK coordinator Meike Laurenson came to our 2009 AGM in person to encourage participation. The NEG can take pride in the fact that 8 of its members exhibited.
Meike sold small, 8 cm square, embroideries in the UK for £6 each, stitched with Madeira threads by named Afghan women to their own designs. The challenge for British textile craftspeople was to create a larger 2D piece inspired by and incorporating their chosen small square. The finished piece could be any shape but had to be 1500 cm in circumference! Meike inspired workers from a wide variety of backgrounds to participate. Panel techniques included appliqué, hand and machine embroidery, weave, knit, crochet, felt, lace, rag rug, dyeing and traditional goldwork. The small squares designed for the British all had pots or vessels on. Many other European countries were taking part and their starting designs were all different.
The exhibition, back in mid February, had been beautifully hung by Meike. On Saturday 13 February there was a ‘meet the artists’ afternoon. Half of the exhibitors had opted to write about their piece. Meike compiled an attractive booklet with everyone’s text which she had paired with a photograph of each contributor’s original chosen small square and the name of its Afghan creator. Anna Mansi, Janice Lawrence, Kate Davis and I all had contributions in the book. Liz Ashurst helpfully had her camera with her at the exhibition and photographed all the seven works you have not seen before.
Since the end of the exhibition I am delighted to report that Liz Ashurst’s piece Tea in the forest and Kate Davis’s Kites for freedom are two of the 24 selected to tour Europe for the next two years to promote the project. The first time work from all the participating European countries was seen together was at the International Craft and Hobby Fair at the NEC Birmingham in March. These selected pieces will go on to exhibitions in Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, France and hopefully Spain and Belgium too.
The other six of us with work in the exhibition now know that our work will tour round Britain for the next year, also helping raise the profile of the work of the women embroidering in Afghanistan. For more details of the project visit www.oneearthtextiles.co.uk
Bridget Barber
Janice lawrence
Kate davis
Linda Litchfield
Liz Ashurst
Anna Mansi
Mary Anderson