Yuliya Surnina Dorset, United Kingdom
Yuliya Surnina, is a Designer/Maker born in Kazakhstan during the zenith of Soviet Union. She primarily explores three main themes in her work: object transformation, perceptions of and expectations from female bodies, and the experience of straddling two cultures. Trained as a City and Guilds Traditional Upholsterer with a MSc in Social Psychology, Julia lives in wild Dorset.
Yuliya transforms vintage and antique textiles using hand and machine sewing techniques, including visible mending, patchwork, boro, bojagi, sashiko, applique and quilting. She enjoys combining those with the traditional upholstery methods, digital photography and textile printing. Found objects (either gifted or discovered in old middens), weathered wood, and battered metal are also evident in her work.