Tara Kennedy United Kingdom
I am a textile artist creating conceptual sculptures and wall art inspired by my emotional responses to various experiences, incidents and observations.
My textile artwork involves highly textured designs with intense twists and loops, dramatic cascades and heavily wrapped bundles. My techniques involve knitting, stitch, wrapping, coiling, tapestry and felting, plus detailed drawings. These drawings provide an alternative viewpoint and compliment my 3D work. The materials I use include mixed yarns, fabrics and threads and sometimes the addition of other contrasting materials. Colour is important, helping to translate the right expression which sometimes involves hand dyeing yarns. Process is also significant referencing therapeutic and calming practices. My main bodies of work include HOPE EMERGING inspired by different cultures and religions suffering in conflict. Important messages of acceptance, empathy and hope are shown emerging from this pain. Coloured yarns provide a metaphor expressing the transformation from blood spilt and the pain of suffering through graduated tones to ivory conveying hope. INSPIRED BY ICELAND is my most recent body of work made in response to the incredible landscape of Iceland experienced on 2 Art Residencies in the north of the country. Solely Icelandic materials are used including raw sheep’s wool, fish skins and horse hair with all the colours of the land applied, from the dark sand and lava fields to the aqua glacial waters, the icy rivers and snow-covered mountains.
Selected pieces from these collections have been exhibited at the Oxo Tower Gallery in London, ACEARTS in Somerton, Somerset, South Hill Park Arts Centre in Bracknell, Wells Contemporary in Wells Cathedral, James Hockey Gallery in Farnham, the Espacio Gallery and the Menier Gallery in London, The Allen Gallery in Alton, Hampshire, The Oxmarket gallery in Chichester, four of the knitting and Stritching shows in UK and the Workers Gallery in Ynyshir, Wales where she won the People Choice Award in their Home/Hope exhibition.
I completed an MA in Textiles at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham in 2018 and am currently developing my practice with new areas of interest leading to the next body of work.
Artwork
HOPE ON CANVAS 4 STITCH AND SWIRLS, mixed yarns, fabrics and threads, pva, paint, wire, canvas, 2019, £350
HOPE ON CANVAS LARGE KNORTS & SWIRLS 5, mixed yarns and fabrics, wire, paint, pva, canvas, 2019, £250
DRAWING 5 BUNDLES, graphite pencil, 2021, £150
DRAWING 6 SHIBORI, graphite pencil, 2021, £150
UNRAVELING, mixed yarn and fabric, wire, clay, glaze, glue, 2022
HOPE VESSEL, ceramic vessel, mixed yarn, mixed fabric, wire, pva, 2019, £900
ARISE, mixed yarn and fabric, mixed wires, clay, glaze, glue, 2021, £1500
HARMONY 1, mixed yarns, mixed fabrics, wire, pva, 2017
BECOMING, mixed yarns, mixed fabrics, wire, nails, acrylic paint, polystyrene ball, pva, 2018
UNITY, mixed yarns, mixed fabrics, wire, pva, 2018, £1500
PROTECT, mixed yarns, mixed fabric strips, wire, polystyrene balls, nails, acrylic paint, pva, 2018, £2000
HARMONY 2, mixed yarns and fabrics, pva, wire, 2017
EMPATHY, mixed yarns and fabrics, nails, paint, 2018
HOPE EMERGING, mixed yarns and fabrics, 2018
Projects and exhibitions
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ECHOES OF ICELAND05/11/2022 — 15/01/2022 This exhibition is a response to the incredible landscape of Iceland with work made by four artists after a month long art residency at the Textile Centre in Blonduous, north Iceland. I was inspired by my awareness of immense space and the endless landscape which became totally overwhelming. Icelandic materials are used including raw sheep’s... [Read more] |
Allen Gallery, Alton, Hampshire | Details |
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WELLS ART CONTEMPORARY30/07/2022 — 28/08/2022 Wells Art Contemporary (WAC) is an international art competition held in Wells Cathedral, the heart of the medieval quarter of England’s smallest city. The exhibition included a white wall gallery within the Cloisters and site-specific art installations inside and around the Cathedral building. HOPE EMERGING was positioned in the North... [Read more] |
Wells Cathedral, Wells | Details |
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HOPE EMERGING08/01/2022 — 29/01/2022 The HOPE EMERGING exhibition included various sculptures and wall art at ACEARTS in Somerton. The despair I feel of different cultures and religions suffering in conflict drives me to communicate important messages. It is possible though understanding these, there could be more harmonious consequences and peace. These messages are created by... [Read more] |
ACE ARTS, Somerton, Somerset | Details |
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BEYOND TRAUMA10/07/2021 — 02/10/2021 The exhibition aimed to communicate the impact of trauma. It included my textile art work and drawings alongside creative writer Lynn Hamilton's written work. Lynn writes about the many aspects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the affects it has on masculinity and the human mind. Alongside some of my existing work we also came together to... [Read more] |
South HIll Park Arts Centre, Bracknell | Details |