Mahawa Keita. Photo credit: Courtesy of the artist
Jerwood Foundation has awarded Ikon Gallery a total grant of £14,000 to support Thread the Loom, a group exhibition which celebrates the medium of weaving. At the heart of the exhibition is an AVL Studio Dobby loom, on loan from Birmingham City University. A cohort of five West Midlands weavers, Chantelle Folarin, Mahawa Keita, Clare Langford, Andrée Walker and Theo Wright, and international artist Seulgi Lee, will share their creative practices live in Ikon's gallery spaces.
Alongside these micro-residencies five additional artists; Raisa Kabir, Alis Oldfield, Bharti Parmar, Dinah Prentice and Su Richardson will exhibit their work in Ikon’s Galleries revealing the dynamic intersection between heritage crafts and contemporary art practice.
Lara Wardle Executive Director and Trustee Jerwood Foundation said:
This grant, which underlines Jerwood’s commitment to supporting excellence in the arts in the UK, will not only provide a developmental opportunity for selected early and mid-career artists but will also provide a valuable opportunity for audiences to observe and engage in the traditional and contemporary art and craft practice of weaving.
Kerry Hawkes Development & Partnerships Manager Ikon Gallery said:
Ikon is thrilled to partner with Jerwood Foundation to deliver Thread the Loom. The generous support extends our shared commitment to nurturing local arts ecologies, providing meaningful professional development opportunities and fostering dynamic public engagement through collaborative education. We are extremely grateful to Jerwood Foundation for supporting this interdisciplinary exhibition, intersecting art, textiles, technology, science and sustainability. It offers a powerful platform for socially and environmentally responsible practice, inspiring current and future generations of visual artists while showcasing heritage crafts.
Linzi Stauvers, Artistic Director (Education) Ikon Gallery said:
Thread the Loom is part of a series of Ikon exhibitions that celebrate the art school infrastructure of the West Midlands. The weaving loom is intervening in the gallery space, transforming it into a studio, where messy practice and critical discourse coincide. By bringing together groups of textile weavers and visual artists and involving a wider community of older and young people, we hope to facilitate knowledge exchange and skills sharing in a way that reveals the true value of art education.
Ikon Gallery is a flagship contemporary art gallery in the West Midlands. Thread the Loom exhibition will be open from 25 June to 7 September, with free entry for everyone. The artists residencies will run from 3 July – 15 August 2025.
For further information please visit Ikon Gallery.
June 10, 2025
