ABOUT
I am a weaver and textile designer based in Coventry. I Originally studied Computer Science at York University in the early 1980s, then worked for a decade as a designer, developer and researcher of interactive multimedia and subsequently as a technology research manager.
While traveling in the Middle East in 1997 I had a Road to Damascus moment that forced me to acknowledge my latent interest in textiles.
I acquired a loom and started to weave in my spare time, developing my skills gradually, then formally through a part-time HNC course and a Textile Design degree. I established my textile design business in 2011 and now design geometric textiles that explore pattern, contrast and colour.
My design process is both structured and exploratory. I start at the computer using a spreadsheet like electronic graph paper, to investigate an idea and develop woven textile designs. I then move to the loom and weave samples of these designs, combining patterns and experimenting with yarn colours.
I enjoy the rhythm of handweaving and the attention to detail that this process affords. Designing and developing a woven textile from start to finish, from concept to cloth, by hand is a very satisfying, but slow, process.
I love to explore the interaction of colour between warp and weft, and the contrast between dark and light colour values; developing surprising combinations within a rich autumnal palette. As a man in the predominantly female world of textile design, I am particularly keen to ensure that my work includes designs and colours that will appeal to men.
Since 2011 I have made scarves for sale, weaving them on a small Ashford eight-shaft table loom and selling online and at major craft fairs. With the recent acquisition of a Louët 16-shaft floor loom, I am now able to make larger work.
In 2014, I was a participant in the Crafts Council’s Hothouse maker development programme. My experience on this scheme led to a new direction, and I was fortunate to be awarded a grant by Arts Council England to create a series of textile artworks based on the mathematical idea of Permutations. This work was first shown in an exhibition at New Brewery Arts, Cirencester in June 2015.
Further grant-funded textile art projects followed: Work from When Waves Collide was shown in the Craftspace touring exhibition Made in the Middle 2016 - 2018. A solo show at the National Centre for Craft and Design followed. Out of Synch, was exhibited at various venues from 2019, and No Colour No Contrast, developed during lockdown, was on show in Coventry and London during 2021 - 2022.
Suppliers / Information Sources
Handweavers Studio (various)
Eurestex (silk)
Lunatic Fringe (cotton)
William Hall Yarns (linen)
Knoll Yarns (lambswool)
J C Rennie (lambswool)
The Weave Shed
Journal for Weavers, Spinners & Dyers
Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers
Exhibitions / Craft Fairs
My textile art has been exhibited at various venues including:
Handweavers Studio & Gallery, London
Blue Door Gallery, Coventry
Farfield Mill, Sedbergh
RWA Open, Bristol
Arcadia Gallery, Coventry
Direct Art Action, Sutton Coldfield
NCCD, Sleaford
New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham
Craft Central, London
Complexity, Illinois USA
New Brewery Arts, Cirencester
I have sold my scarves at many craft fairs including:
Compton Verney Textile Fair
Discover Gather Give, Stratford
Lustre, Nottingham
Beautiful & Useful, Garden Museum, London
Christmas Craft Market, MAC, Birmingham
Blackthorpe Barn, Suffolk
GNCCF, Manchester
MADE, London
MADE, Brighton
Festival of Crafts, Farnham
Warwickshire Open Studios, Coventry
Contemporary Craft Festival, Bovey Tracey
Press/Articles
"No Colour No Contrast", Journal for Weavers, Spinners & Dyers 280 (Winter 2021) pp 12-15
"No Colour No Contrast", Complex Weavers Journal 126 (June 2021) pp 8-14
"Out of Synch", Complex Weavers Journal 120 (June 2019) pp 24-30
"Colour and Contrast", Journal for Weavers, Spinners & Dyers 269 (Spring 2019) p 22
"When Waves Collide", Complex Weavers Journal 113 (February 2017) pp 6-9
"Theo Wright: Handweaver", Craft & Design 250 (March/April 2017) pp 42-44
"Weaving Permutations", Journal for Weavers, Spinners & Dyers 258 (Summer 2016) pp 29-32
Grants and business development
Arts Council England funding for the No Colour No Contrast project 2020/21
Arts Council England funding for the Out of Synch project 2018/19
Arts Council England & Coventry City Council funding for the When Waves Collide project 2016-18
Arts Council England funding for the Permutations project 2014/15
Crafts Council Hothouse4 (Midlands) - Business training and professional development programme 2014
Education
BA (Hons) Textile Design - University College Falmouth
HNC Fashion & Textiles - Bradford College
BSc (Hons) Computer Science - University of York
Handweavers Studio (various)
Eurestex (silk)
Lunatic Fringe (cotton)
William Hall Yarns (linen)
Knoll Yarns (lambswool)
J C Rennie (lambswool)
The Weave Shed
Journal for Weavers, Spinners & Dyers
Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers
Exhibitions / Craft Fairs
My textile art has been exhibited at various venues including:
Handweavers Studio & Gallery, London
Blue Door Gallery, Coventry
Farfield Mill, Sedbergh
RWA Open, Bristol
Arcadia Gallery, Coventry
Direct Art Action, Sutton Coldfield
NCCD, Sleaford
New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham
Craft Central, London
Complexity, Illinois USA
New Brewery Arts, Cirencester
I have sold my scarves at many craft fairs including:
Compton Verney Textile Fair
Discover Gather Give, Stratford
Lustre, Nottingham
Beautiful & Useful, Garden Museum, London
Christmas Craft Market, MAC, Birmingham
Blackthorpe Barn, Suffolk
GNCCF, Manchester
MADE, London
MADE, Brighton
Festival of Crafts, Farnham
Warwickshire Open Studios, Coventry
Contemporary Craft Festival, Bovey Tracey
Press/Articles
"No Colour No Contrast", Journal for Weavers, Spinners & Dyers 280 (Winter 2021) pp 12-15
"No Colour No Contrast", Complex Weavers Journal 126 (June 2021) pp 8-14
"Out of Synch", Complex Weavers Journal 120 (June 2019) pp 24-30
"Colour and Contrast", Journal for Weavers, Spinners & Dyers 269 (Spring 2019) p 22
"When Waves Collide", Complex Weavers Journal 113 (February 2017) pp 6-9
"Theo Wright: Handweaver", Craft & Design 250 (March/April 2017) pp 42-44
"Weaving Permutations", Journal for Weavers, Spinners & Dyers 258 (Summer 2016) pp 29-32
Grants and business development
Arts Council England funding for the No Colour No Contrast project 2020/21
Arts Council England funding for the Out of Synch project 2018/19
Arts Council England & Coventry City Council funding for the When Waves Collide project 2016-18
Arts Council England funding for the Permutations project 2014/15
Crafts Council Hothouse4 (Midlands) - Business training and professional development programme 2014
Education
BA (Hons) Textile Design - University College Falmouth
HNC Fashion & Textiles - Bradford College
BSc (Hons) Computer Science - University of York