Issue 95 Out Now
Image: (c) Djilene Creations.
The next issue of Selvedge, Issue 95 Heritage, is now available to buy. This issue was created during the challenging days of lockdown in the UK. Although our team all work remotely – currently being based in Gibraltar, Finland and in the UK – much of the creative industries were shut down and there were no exhibitions to review, no photographers available for commission and writers struggled to fact-check their text. Our lives slowed and narrowed, encouraging us all to re-prioritise the important things, our friends and family and the simple pleasures of hearth and home. To engage with textile crafts and appreciate the positive impact that making has on our mental health.
Image: Baskets by Inès Bressand, available at eggtrading.com.
Once the height of the pandemic has passed, we must not let fear breed further isolation and loneliness. That will be the time to rebuild our economy and to reach out to our friends across the world. Here at Selvedge, we feel that it has become more important than ever to support the work of makers who are in danger of being amongst the hardest hit. The products of their labour so enrich all our lives, and particularly now, their creative expression is a tonic for us all. With these thoughts in mind, the focus of this issue is the work of the makers of handmade textiles: individuals whose livelihoods are threatened, and communities both near and far struggling for survival because of their isolation and the pandemic’s economic impact.
Image: Kente Cloth, Gift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company Seattle Art Museum, photography by Paul Macapia.
We bring you uplifting stories of women building better lives for their families through textiles endeavours in Guatemala and India. These artisan-led projects work best when they maintain the essence of the makers visual identity yet produce a product that connects to contemporary society. One of the best examples are the uber-cool chairs by Djilene Creations from Senegal. So, I recommend you grab a lawn chair, and enjoy this issue in the summer sunshine.
Buy your digital or physical copy of Issue 95: Heritage here.
Polly Leonard.