Fiona R Hutchison
.jpg "Where Two Tides Meet, 2006. Photography by Michael Walchover")
Sea, sailing and tapestry weaving combine to inspire my creative process. Weaving for 25 years, my visual and emotional experiences of the sea are expressed in my work. Using a less traditional approach, it is in the manipulation of materials and technique that my work comes alive.
I have always considered myself to be a traditional tapestry weaver, working in Gobelin Tapestry with natural materials, but travel opens your eyes. Since travelling in Japan and studying the works of contemporary Japanese textiles, I have begun to develop my work in a different way. Taking a broader approach: working across a wider range of materials, techniques and disciplines. More aware of the importance of ‘Ma’: the space within my work and the relationship it has with the space it occupies.
This awareness also led me to explore the possibilities of breaking down the structure of tapestry and experimenting with less traditional materials. Manipulating the warp and weft, working with paper and monofilament yarn, creating a lighter more delicate textile.
The work in this exhibition is part of a collection inspired by the flow of water and was developed with the help of Edinburgh Visual Arts And Crafts Award funding for an exhibition at the TheItami Museum of Art and Craft, Japan, in 2006.
Fiona R Hutchison graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 1985, and has exhibited internationally in Bulgaria, Korea, Japan, Poland and Norway as well as in the UK. She recently received a Creative Development award from the Scottish Arts Council to develop a new body of work, and continues to exhibit, teach and design to commission.
www.fionarhutchison.me.uk