Explosions of colour
- Jacob uses a range of rich and vibrant colours
- He is inspired by plant foliage and bird plumage
- His works are displayed in both domestic and public spaces
Jacob Monk studied Textile Design at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, specialising in woven textiles. He chose a course where he learned to knit, print and weave before specialising in one discipline. “I was most excited to use the looms as they looked like ancient pieces of equipment that I had never seen before. I continued to explore and develop my craft after graduating with a focus on Ikat, which is the process of creating a pattern through the dyeing of the warp yarns before they are put onto the loom and woven.” Creating the design in the warp gives a sense of movement vertically as colours change, merging into each other, and finished pieces have an almost hand-painted look to them.
INTERVIEW
This seemed like the most obvious choice as weaving is what I enjoy doing the most and have the most patience for and determination to succeed in. I began making Ikat fabrics using wool on a Harris tabletop loom, and in 2019 I opened my own studio.
I love having the ability to construct a solid piece of fabric from just a cone of yarn, also dyeing and weaving the cloth by hand. Creating the pattern in the warp is what gives the blurred transition between colours.
Although weaving is a thriving industry, Ikat is becoming an endangered skill in many regions around the world, with hand-weaving communities sadly disappearing.
I think I would have to be 2018, when I exhibited at London Design Fair. This turned out to be very significant moment, to see so many other designers and makers exhibiting around me gave me the motivation to create my brand and take the plunge of making a living as a self-employed artist.
