A Life in Tapestry: William Jefferies at Morley Gallery
This January, Morley Gallery presents A Life in Tapestry, the first retrospective exhibition dedicated to the woven work of British tapestry artist William Jefferies. Spanning five decades, the exhibition brings together almost 100 tapestries alongside sketchbooks, samplers and film, offering a rare opportunity to encounter a lifetime of weaving in one place.
Franco (detail) by William Jefferies
Jefferies trained at Edinburgh College of Art under Archie Brennan, Maureen Hodge and Fiona Mathison, before working at the Dovecot Tapestry Studio and completing an MA at the Royal College of Art. These formative experiences laid the foundations for a practice defined by both technical rigour and an adventurous engagement with materials. His work became widely known during the 1980s and 90s through major exhibitions of contemporary British tapestry organised by the Crafts Council and others, as well as through significant public and commercial commissions.
Tectonic by William Jefferies
Pronounced variations in texture, achieved through the use of widely assorted yarns and experimental weaving techniques, are a defining hallmark of Jefferies’ practice. Such diversity of fibre and structure can often lead to distortion in finished work, yet his tapestries remain remarkably stable and resolved. This is a measure of his deep commitment to tapestry as a disciplined craft, and of the technical skill required to assemble differently textured elements into a sound and coherent woven structure. Texture, in his work, is never incidental; it is fundamental to how imagery is built, read and experienced.
Detail from one of the many William Jefferies sketchbooks on show at Morley. Image: @annawhite.textiles
Central to the exhibition are Jefferies’ sketch and ‘Ideas Books’, many of which will be shown publicly for the first time. These working documents combine found printed imagery with drawing, colouring and collage, revealing how ideas are gathered, tested and refined long before they reach the loom. Seen alongside finished tapestries, they offer valuable insight into the translation of image into woven form, and into the role that texture, scale and relief play in shaping meaning.
Geography (detail) by William Jefferies.
Alongside his studio practice, Jefferies has had a profound influence as a teacher. He led the Morley College tapestry course for 18 years until his retirement in 2020, has tutored at West Dean college, and continues to run workshops from his studio in Kew. Over the past quarter century, he has inspired generations of weavers, encouraging an attentive and exploratory relationship with materials.
A Life in Tapestry is the most comprehensive presentation of William Jefferies’ work to date. With many works never previously exhibited, an accompanying exhibition catalogue, and a programme of workshops and events, it stands as both a celebration of a sustained career and a testament to tapestry’s continuing relevance as a contemporary art form.
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Further Information:
William Jefferies: A Life in Tapestry is on show from 21 January until 7 February at Morley Gallery, London.
Please take a look at the William Jefferies exhibition page for information about workshops and guided exhibition tours.
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Image Credits:
Lead: The Art Market (Detail), by William Jefferies. Photo courtesy of Morley Gallery.
All further images as credited in photo captions.