Made in the Middle: Artists

Thirty-seven artists represent the region’s vibrant and diverse creative community.

Thirty-one of the artists were selected through an open call, by a panel of curators and craft experts. The exhibitors include both emerging talents and established names. Six of the artists were invited by Guest Curator Jazz Swali, with curatorial support by Marta Marsicka. Their pieces reflect the enriching cultural impact of global migration to the region.

A detailed, abstract, kaleidoscopic painting on handmade paper. Red, blue and orange rounded shapes are stacked on a bright green background. The whole design is covreed in a geometric pattern of white lines and swirls.

Aishah Carberry

Vibrant, kaleidoscopic patterns inspired by African, Indonesian and Aboriginal art.
aishahcarberry.wixsite.com

A large detailed white papercut artwork. Rings radiate out from the centre, with each layer being very precisely and meticulously cut.

Clare Pentlow

Clare explores paper’s material qualities through intricate hand cutting and folding techniques.
cjpdesigns.co.uk

Six vessels, made of folded, pleated metal, arranged on a white background. Some are standing and some are on their side. They are blue-green and copper in colour.

Emma-Jane Rule

Emma-Jane’s metalwork blends traditional silversmithing with fold-forming techniques.
www.craftscouncil.org.uk/directory/emma-jane-rule-silversmith/

A collection of small, discarded and discoloured metal gas cannisters, some of which has been decorated with delicate weaving.

Fran Buxton

Found objects embellished with meticulous needle lace, challenging perceptions of value.
www.franbuxtonmixedmedia.com

A close up of a woven textile hanging, comprised of white and black threads. It appears to be a waffle weave, where it is comprised of a 3D grid where the outline of the grid protrudes, where the centre of each grid cell is sunken.

Jade Webb

Sustainable weaving exploring biodiversity and the neurodivergent mind.
www.creativeleics.co.uk/portfolio/jade-leigh-webb

An electric shock machine, all made from stitched papers from vintage 'Science News' publications. A teal box with a handle, which contains several coils and dials, as well as yellow spiral cords coming out of it leading to rods.

Jennifer Collier

Intricate paper sculptures from recycled vintage paper and traditional stitching methods.
www.jennifercollier.co.uk

A red high-heel shoe. The sole between the arch and the toe of the shoe has been extended and curves about 90 degrees. It says 'Turning Point' in gold capital letters.

Jo Cope

Examining cultural relationships through shoes.
www.jocope.com

Three abstract sculptures. They are made of irregular shaped blocks of coloured plaster. They look very solid. The colours are bright and blocky, greens, blues, pinks and yellows.

Johnny Armstrong

Exploring collapsed architecture and scattered debris.

A brightly coloured, heavily patterned floral quilt. 6 squares high, 8 squares wide. Reads 'Go Home, Call your Nan, Tell her you love her'. Any patch not containing letters embellished with stitched shapes resembling a paint splatter.

Karina Thompson

Quilts as metaphors for anger and grief, challenging us to look beyond surface beauty.
www.karinathompson.com

A large clay vase which widens in the middle, constructed from coils in an organic way. It looks precarious yet sturdy. The clay has been lightly embellished with orange and blue marks before being glazed.

Katie Smith

Challenging perceptions of ceramic structure and human resilience.
www.kasceramics.com

Six brightly coloured, differently sized vases. Each vase is entirely one colour, and differently shaped. The surfaces are decorated with many sharp grooves, creating lines top to bottom.

Keeley Traae

3D printed vases inspired by mid-century design and using renewable materials.
keeleytraae.com

Three large blue glass light shades. They have organic oval forms.

Keisha Brittle

High-end decorative homeware made from blown glass, inspired by nature.
www.keishabrittleglass.com

A very detailed ceramic model. It is a fantasy creature covered in lots of decoration which appears like leaves, flowers or fur. It is white with black and gold detail and has a very textured surface.

Lucy Baxendale

Surrealist automatism transformed into unglazed, stained porcelain pieces, bridging imagination and materiality.
www.lucybaxendale.com

A large sculpture made from large sisal rope. The rope has been knitted and knotted to create a 3D shape.

Mahawa Keita

Community-focused fibre art inspired and informed by migrant and refugee stories, experiences and cultures.
www.masading.com

Three clay 'trophies'. The central trophy is white, blue and gold, and is made of a cooking pot being held up by a circle of people, on top of a plinth that says 'Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world'. Two terracota trophies are embellished with gold, with a person standing on the top.

Martha Wiles

Using clay to start meaningful discussions with the public about issues with the food system.
marthaewiles.myportfolio.com/martha-wiles-art

An automata machine of five swans flying in a circular motion, propped up by a base decorated with feathers.

Melanie Tomlinson

Mixed-media sculptures which weave personal memories with true stories, honouring overlooked narratives.
melanietomlinson.co.uk

A very detailed sculpture, embellished with small toy animals, beads, flowers, dolls, jewellery and small decorative ornaments.

Michaela McMillan

Storytelling sculptures made exclusively from recycled and found objects.
www.michaelamcmillan.com

On the left hand side, there are cracked and powdered eggshells and mussel shells, next to which as small domes seemingly made of the powder. Each dome has a small circle cut out of its centre.

Natalie Cole

Transforming ‘waste’ into useful, beautiful objects that can help close the loop in the circular economy.
www.instagram.com/natalie_cole_1

Nilupa Yasmin

Exploring craft’s role in supporting mental health through community-building projects using weaving, embroidery and paper folding.
www.nilupayasmin.com

A close-up shot of dark, hanging metal chains, each of which is adorned by thin metal rods in each chain link, such that they resemble a pine tree branch. The chains are hanging at different depths, looking like a forest.

Nobuko Okumura

Flexible, precise metalwork that encourages us to pause and reflect amidst busy lives.
www.nobuko.co.uk

A brightly coloured, illustrative, embroidered quilt. It is largely a Black man, who has green eyes, a thin moustach, lots of tattoos, two lip rings, and short black hair. Around him are illustrations of shells, oranges, skulls, anchors, roses, and peacock feathers.

Oliver Bliss

Large-scale handmade quilts exploring themes of identity, sexuality, heritage and gender.
oliverbliss.blogspot.com

Three stools. The frames are green, one holding a half-spherical wooden seat, the other is the same shape and made of cork. The third is the same shape and made of felt.

Olivia Ricketts

Sustainable, adaptable furniture that rejects consumerism and encourages lifelong connections.
oliviaricketts.com

Three simple ceramic creatures. A dark dragon-like form with a green tongue, a light brown hedgehog-like creature which appears to hold a small bag and look surprised and a small brown bear like figure with open arms.

Oxana Geets

Grogged stoneware creatures that bridge past and present, blending ancient influences with contemporary themes of migration and peace.
www.instagram.com/oxanageets

Three sculptures. They appear to include found objects made from building material. They include rough stone shapes, twisted shapes and smooth glazed forms.

Paul McAllister

Using craft to explore post-industrial landscapes, heritage and personal connections.

A woman sits a a table as if set for dining. She holds a simple silver bowl. A larger wooden bowl is on the table, a large wooden spoon a smaller spoon. A tall silver vase sits above the place setting, it has a light brown covering in the base.

Rachael Colley

Food waste transformed into desirable jewellery items, challenging notions of preciousness and sustainability.
rachaelcolleyartist.wordpress.com

A detailed sculture which appears to depict a forearm and hand reaching up, palm upwards. It appears to be made of small pieces of metal and wire.

Robert Maurice King

Robot characters and sculptures constructed from discarded e-waste components.
robbieycorp.co.uk

A close-up of a multi-layered trolley against a dark background. The trolley is gold and white. On the top layer is a food tray, which has been separated into compartments, some of which have been decorated with images and hand-written text.

Roo Kaur Dhissou

Indigenous crafts with contemporary twists, complicating narratives around identity, diaspora and community.
roodhissou.com

Ruiya Xu

Jewellery as a bridge between ancient past and technological future, blending imagination and craftsmanship to challenge perceptions of its cultural significance.
2023.rca.ac.uk/students/ruiya-xu

Three equally proportioned woven wall hangings, each made from blue fabric embellished with geometric shapes and patterns made from lighter, shiny thread. Left hand piece features hourglass formations; central piece featuring diamonds interrupting waves; right-hand piece features expanding and contracting columns.

Sarah-May Johnson

Pushing the boundaries of traditional weaving techniques.
www.sarahmayjohnson.com

A sleek, curved sculpture built from slabs, resembling a standing stone. It is white, and has been decorated with grey, green, black and yellow markings. Its base is curved.

Verity Howard

Surreal, stone-like sculptural forms inspired by the Black Mountains landscape.
www.verityhowardceramics.com

A very rough looking greeny-brown cord has been knitted in the round, it is attached to 3 needles and the fourth lies to the side.

Zoë Hillyard

Bridging textile and ceramic disciplines, asking us to question our relationship with possessions and perceptions of beauty and imperfection.
zoehillyard.wordpress.com

Invited Artists

An amber and blue coloured glass vessel, contstricted by metal coils. The glass seems to be trying to escape these constraints. A coil of rope surrounds the mouth of the vessel.

Chris Day

Using glass to investigate complex topics and social tensions.
www.chrisdayglass.com

A textile wall hanging in a light fabric. The right side depicts a veiled woman, outlined with black thread. It appears white but it actually cut out. The rest of the hanging has a repeating geometric pattern in subtle colours on a blue background.

Farwa Moledina

Expansive textile-based installations, inspired by Islamic design, focusing on rest, reflection and creativity.
www.farwamoledina.com

A deeply carved black vessel. The shapes are geometric and flowing.

Halima Cassell

Combining strong geometric elements with recurrent patterns and architectural principles.
www.halimacassell.com

A naïve white ceramic hand, with exaggeratedly long fingers, and fingernails painted red. Surrounding the hand are small yellow dice with red dots, and small teardrop shaped ceramic pieces.

Klara Szafrańska

Exploring kitsch in contemporary communities in relation to human condition, primarily focusing on primary metaphysical desires and fetishes.
klaraszafranska.com

A brightly-coloured, diamond-shaped textile piece in a wooden frame. The piece is bordered with yellow ribbon, and small triangular pieces of fabric adorn the bottom of the piece, like bunting. The centre of the piece is decorated with five circles, each made up of differently coloured rings.

Tereza Bušková

Exploring ritual, tradition and craft, celebrating and reinterpreting Slavic and European customs through print, performance and video.
terezabuskova.com

A ceramic sculpture of three increasingly small plinths, on the very top of which rests and elephant. The top plinth is connected to the lower two by branches that extend from their corners into the top plinth. It is largely blue, red and brown.

Xin Chen

Inspired by nature, daily experiences, dreams, and imagination, playfully engaging with physical and visual materials.
xinxinxinchen.notion.site/artwork