Robin Bray-Hurren

textile art

A photo of a piece of embroidery on printed denim. The print is in pale and deep blue, taken from a 1930s magazine illustration titled "what are those parts called?" with line drawings of labelled domestic tools and machinery. The embroidery stitched over the print is a pair of men's pants in thick pink thread.

I'm an artist working primarily with textiles, using traditional embroidery techniques, cyanotype printing, patchwork and applique to explore ideas around queer and non-normative bodies, identities and histories. I'm interested in the ways that socially constructed categories overlap and interact with the less rigidly defined boundaries of the biological world, and see visual art as one way we can try to bridge empathetic gaps. My work draws from my experiences as a queer trans man, and as a disabled person.


By making work that's quiet and intimate I want to invite people to get up close and consider the object in detail. By dedicating time and care to a piece of work I hope to signify the ideas within the piece are worth that time & care. Art can create a space where different ideas and experiences are explored, I want my work to open space up to people who have historically been marginalised.

 

Hand work is a central part of what I do. The repetitive nature of hand sewing, lettering, or cutting a lino block is something I find satisfying and meaningful,  keeping the makers hand present in the work as a reminder of the human experiences I explore.

If you'd like to discuss a commission or collaboration, drop me a line!