Hawick exhibition celebrates wild coast and textile artistry
A new exhibition by award-winning textile artist Karen Charlton has opened at Borders Textile Towerhouse in Hawick.
‘Living on the Edge’ takes inspiration from the rock formations, seaweed and wild nature of the coast, especially in the tidal zone where the land meets the sea.
Responding to the textures and colours of this natural environment through paintings and handweaving, Karen works with natural fibres, including wool and alpaca, dyeing and spinning the fibres by hand, enabling her to create interesting coloured textural yarn which she uses in her weaving.
The centrepiece of the display is a beautiful hand-woven coat. With a design influenced by the shawls and wraps worn by fisherwomen in the early 19th century, it features a shawl collar and combines warmth, softness and sculptural beauty.
Karen is inspired by the work of the innovative Borders-based designer Bernat Klein, in particular the way he blended colours and used textured yarns.
She said: “I was able to visit the Bernat Klein archive in Galashiels to study examples of his work in detail. The visit helped to inform my own practice of creating yarns and weaving fabric.”
The exhibition also showcases some of Klein’s outfits from Hawick Museum’s collection, illustrating how the legacy his continues to inspire new creative talent.
‘Living on the Edge’ runs until November 2. Open daily, 10am-4pm, Monday to Saturday. Free entry. Donations welcome.