Emma Pannell Greater Manchester, United Kingdom

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Emma is an embroidery artist who works with recycled ,aluminium, drinks cans. Using ancient design techniques such as engraving and goldwork embroidery. After burnishing the inside of the can turns a golden colour which she sews onto. The contrast in materials is a focal point of her practice. She also woks on site specific settings and immersive projects.

Emma is an artist who designs and makes using discarded items. She looks at combining 'high' art techniques, whilst using 'low' art materials, reworking the discarded into the beguiling, and the forgotten into the extraordinary. Drawing on her training in fine art and theatre, her work explores intrigue, impact and illusion.

Her work combines hand embroidery and gold work on metal. She works primarily with recycled aluminium, which she burns, engraves and embroiders onto. This is a self-taught practice she has honed over fifteen years.

The metal material is recycled, aluminium drinks cans. These are cut open, flattened and burned. After burnishing the inside of the can turns a speckled gold colour. No two are the same! The contrast in materials and their combination is a focal point of her practice.

Her newest body of work ‘Art of Anatomy’ is inspired by anatomical drawings and ancient design. The exhibition plays with the concepts of belief, worship and science. Re-framing parts of the human body (organs, bones, muscle, vales) as sacred objects. Pieces are multi layered and hand embroidered using various techniques such as goldwork, silk shading and beading.

Previous work has examined Shakespearian text and characters, insecta and the natural kingdom.