Hannah Davies, Winner of New Designers One Year On Award
ARTS THREAD looks at the work of designers exhibiting at One Year On, a showcase for upcoming talent from previous New Designer graduates. This week’s selection includes textiles, product design, illustration, ceramics and much more.
Hannah Davies won the One Year On Award of £500 plus extra benefits. Possessing a love of nature, Hannah Davies continually develops intricate illustrations inspired by natural forms. The collection has a penchant for patterns built upon layers of textures formed by adorable charms such as horseshoes, flowers, umbrellas and exotic birds. The hand drawn, playful images provide a whimsical twist alongside the kaleidoscope of tropical colours that are reworked in Photoshop and transferred onto fabrics. Pen and ink work is used to form a splash of patterns, drawing inspiration from her imagination and dreams.
Lisa Connolly, One Year On
Creating novel and unique illustrations, Lisa Connolly tackles atypical themes, immersing herself in the exploration of the strange and unusual. Her new style of portraiture using unconventional methods of stitch and mixed media has a quirky edge, along with the humour instilled in her characters.
An amalgamation of calico, black thread and experimentation of thread tensions are the driving force to the production of her comical reaction to the classic portraiture of grandeur. Featuring girls with attitude and ladies who look dark and sinister, the illustrations provide an amusing touch of off-beat quirkiness to the art of portraiture.
Kate Usher, One Year On
Kate Usher’s debut collection of luxury, hand-finished wallcoverings, bridges the gap between traditional childhood elegance and grown up cool. Whilst some designs evoke memories of trips to the sweetshop and days spent helping granddad in the potting shed, others cater to a fascination with unusual creatures and their habitats.
The collection features special finishes such as flocking, beading and crystal embellishment. The contemporary colour palette complements the quirky, hand-drawn designs.
Maintenence collection, Robin Grasby & Marc Bell, One Year On
Robin Grasby and Marc Bell developed the ‘Maintenance’ collection as a result of a curiosity for mundane objects that are often overlooked. Domestic objects, in particular, became a central focus and were explored on the basis of how much attention they are given and analysed as to the extent of how little we pride them.
Often shunned away in cupboards, Grasby and Bell developed an interlocking system that focuses on attachments and handles designed to be manufactured as individual items. The objects reflect a sense of ease in their usage, aims to save space and draw our attention to some of the most overlooked objects in our homes; the dustpan, mop, and broom.
Tamar Balakjian, One Year On
Fascinated by the idea of the continuous line throughout a piece, Tamar Balakijan explores the concept in large-scale installation pieces made up of multiple strands that intersect, disperse, become solid and sculptural, and return to their original form creating a fluid fabric. Her main priority is that the work should effortlessly flow between these states. She takes her colour inspiration from contemporary urban photography, giving it a modern feel.
Grace Smith, One Year On
Grace Smith draws inspiration from travel and delves into investigating intriguing cultures worldwide. Her latest collection sees printed textiles embedded with imagery from India. Bringing the chaotic nature of the fleamarkets and baazars alive on her repeating fabrics and paper giftware, she captures the rush of colours, noise and patterns. They carry an embellishment of metallic colours, evoking the glint of precious sights caught in a fleeing moment passing by. The prints boast mountains of Indian slippers and trinket boxes, all clammoring for attention.
Sarah-Jane Guest, One Year On
Without any serious undertones, Sarah-Jane Guest’s playful, eclectic mix of imagery is inspired by everything around her. She is fascinated by environment’s ability to shape moods and form the basis of memories. Bold prints, vividly bright colours and an enchanting selection of illustrative designs adorn the interior pieces which aim to take viewers on a journey through their imagination. Simplistic designs of stripes and zigzags sit alongside the delicate drawings, often generated by an everyday trip or excursion.
Paul Cummins, One Year On
Heavily influenced by locations, landscapes and architecture, Paul Cummins enjoys a natural interest in how a large installation will fit into an environment. He takes inspiration from nature and flowers to create hand thrown pieces made from terracotta and porcelain clay. A ting glaze is applied to the flowers to create an overall sheen that polished the surface. The decorative pieces were designed to be speckled across the garden and explore how Cummins work interacts with its surroundings.
Hannah Davies
Lisa Connolly
Kate Usher
Robin Grasby and Marc Bell
Tamar Balakjian
Grace Smith
Sarah-Jane Guest
Paul Cummins
