Textile tales
- Hannah is a trained illustrator
- She describes herself as a textile storyteller
- Respect for Japanese craft traditions influences her making
After graduating and freelancing as an illustrator and art director, Hannah Waldron fell in love with the woven work of Anni Albers and Gunta Stölzl at the Bauhaus Archive in Berlin. Inspired, she experimented with weaving on a small loom and completed a MFA in Textiles at Konstfack in Stockholm. Ever since, fascinated by the possibilities of weaving, Hannah has specialised in telling stories through her textiles: “I don’t think one lifetime is enough to fully realise all the incredible techniques that the craft of weaving offers.” Working from her studio in Cornwall with a beautiful garden and café, she intuitively combines different natural and naturally dyed fibres like wool, silk and linen in a sustainable way.
Interview
- How would you define what you do?
- I am an artist and designer specialising in designing and making research led unique printed and woven textiles that have an emphasis on storytelling. I exhibit my pieces internationally.
- Did you learn from a master artisan?
- The works of the great Anni Albers and Gunta Stölzl, technically skilled tutors at Konstfack in Stockholm and assisting Eleanor Pritchard in London taught me a lot. In 2019, I began to learn Kasuri weaving with master weaver Emma Omote in Kyoto, Japan; it was an incredible honour.
- What are your specialisations?
- I specialise in a hybrid form of weaving, combining tapestry techniques with pattern constructions. My aim is to approach the craft of weaving in a way that brings it into the contemporary realm to a new audience.
- How did your experience in Japan influence your making?
- I experienced such a respect for materials, process and craft in Japan; the level of care that is taken is astounding and very inspiring. I really aspire to give each weaving the time it requires and to inject it with that same level of consideration, care and respect.
Hannah Waldron is a master artisan: she began her career in 2014 and she started teaching in 2014
Where
Hannah Waldron
