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THE FORBIDDEN
KINGDOM
My new exhibition of
carpets for the wall and mixed media pictures is called “The Forbidden
Kingdom”. All the work has been inspired by Nepalese culture and
landscape. I have travelled to Nepal for many years
trekking in the high Himalayas and exploring old cultural sites.
The exhibition is my
creative response to my experiences and Nepalese visits. The
work starts with figurative pieces which are slowly abstracted, with
elements of decorative pattern and flowers being introduced. This work
leads the way to the final section, which is totally decorative or
abstract. This later work has been influenced by the strange mix so
often observed in Nepal of the sophisticated being juxtaposed with the
naive. Into this heady mix I have introduced my own western creative
style and ideas. The mixture of religious cultures and architectural
styles experienced in Nepal are not only fascinating, but visually
stimulating and sometimes disturbing. Alien elements are often
introduced in to traditional themes and used together, producing
exciting sometimes disturbing, but always interesting, visual effects.
The wool used in the
carpets is grown in Tibet and carried by mule train over the Himalayas
into the Kathmandu valley where it is sorted and hand spun dyed and
woven. All the designs are worked in London, as are the graphs from
which the weavers work. One graph can take two weeks to work out, it is
at this stage that drawing of the design is finalised. A high level of
combined weaving skills and creative design skills is needed if the best
results are to be achieved. Any mistakes at this stage can rarely be
corrected once the carpet is being woven. Having trained as a
weaver I am technically skilled, which has enabled me to introduce new
techniques to the native weavers and some of these are evident in the
show. Different pile levels of the knotting as against the flat weaving
has been introduced to enhance the textural surfaces.
The colour used is
inspired by the landscape seen particularly in the high Himalayas and
the Mustang region, ‘The Forbidden Kingdom’. The colours are ever
changing in tone and shades influenced by the season and weather at
different times of the year. A particular influence has been the
experience of seeing hillsides in the lower Himalayas full of flowers
and the famous Rhododendron forests. The imperial cities, particularly
Buhkturpur have also worked their magic. Places where life seems to have
stood still for centuries. At certain times of the year in this best
preserved of the Imperial cities, the streets are used to dry the
harvest. The most spectacular being when the red chillies are spread all
over the roads with just a small pathway left to allow people to walk
through. The streets look as thought they have been covered in a carpet
worked in every shade of red and orange and ever changing tones, as the
sun moves its position in the sky. The way colour is used in Nepal
ranges from subtle shading, as experienced in the landscapes, to
clashing primary colours seen in the temple hangings and the women’s
national costume.
All the designs have
been inspired by some aspect of the experiences I have had in Nepal. As
the work developed many elements of stylisation and abstraction have
been introduced. This has led to colour combinations not normally
associated with my work. All the exhibits have been designed and graphed
in my London studio, then taken to Kathmandu and talked through with the
weavers. Each design is discussed in great detail, so the weavers know
exactly what I am aiming to achieve and to ensure the interpretation
will be correct. The development of designs and technique is an on going
process and is challenging for all concerned. This exhibition is the
compilation of designs first photographed, drawn or painted, then
reinterpreted in woven carpets and mixed media pictures. The exhibition
is hung to show the progressive development of ideas, as well as the
order in which these were created. It is hoped that this will enable the
visitor to see my creative development (of
ideas), as well as the theme of the show.
The Forbidden Kingdom exhibition started in September 2008 at the
Knitting and Stitching show and will travel to different galleries
between 2008 and 2012. For details of where the exhibition can be see
please look on the 'What's On' page |