Kendall Clarke

Weaver

©Justyna Kulam

From linguist to artist

Kendall designs and hand crafts 2D and 3D textile art
She applies her craft to create artistic narratives
Paper, silk and stainless steel are her chosen materials

The apparent simplicity of a piece of fabric can hide an outstanding amount of awareness and experimentation. In Kendall Clarke’s woven art pieces, even basic structures are always the result of a considered construction unveiling the potential of a material, or of a combination of materials. Her subtle, sophisticated works subvert people’s expectations, and suggest a variety of concepts that resonate with today’s world: fragility, precariousness, resilience, survival. Kendall used to be a linguist but got caught by the magic of weaving and took a leap to change her path. To her, weaving is both a language and a way to explore language itself. In her multi-layered woven tales, Kendall often uses paper associated with other materials such as silk and stainless steel, in order to give life to her thoughts through art.

Where

Interview

©Justyna Kulam

©Justyna Kulam

How did you come to textile art?: I used to keep sheep and I didn’t want to waste their wool. I had a long-standing interest in traditional rugs so began rug-weaving. But soon I wanted to deepen my knowledge and decided to pursue a technical education in weaving – diploma and masters. I then opened my first studio.
How does your interest in languages influence your craft?: Writing makes thoughts visible. I use calligraphic and gestural marks, sometimes in abstracted form. I often take risks with degrading or distressing my textiles to represent loss and fragmentation. Weaving is definitely a language that I leverage on, with a clear focus on structure and construction.
What are the key elements of this language?: Exploration and experimentation. Sensitivity to materials is key and I enjoy subverting their obvious character to bring out unexpected qualities. I make my own dyes and inks from plants to get quiet colours. I value craft skills and fine work, and I am guided by simple, precise, Japanese-style aesthetics.
What is your woven art about?: It is about survival and resilience, precariousness and fragility, what remains over the passing of time. Something extremely fitting to our current times.

Kendall Clarke is a rising star: she began her career in 2019 and she started teaching in 2019