Hannah Robson and the Shape of Transformation

Within the soaring interior of The Harris, a new commission rises and unfurls: Transformation, a monumental textile sculpture by Hannah Robson. Suspended through the building’s central void, the work stretches an astonishing 20 metres, threading its way across three levels in a display that is at once delicate and commanding. Commissioned by the British Textile Biennial in partnership with The Harris, the piece is on view until June 2026. 

Hannah Robson, Transformation, viewed from above, looking down the Harris rotunda. Photo: Lucy Forrester.

Handwoven and knotted from paper yarns and rayon, Transformation explores invention through material. Robson’s practice has long been concerned with how textiles occupy and shape space, and here she pushes that inquiry into architectural scale. Precise, three-dimensional woven forms emerge from layers that were constructed flat on the loom, only to open and expand once released. These sculptural elements are bound together by tensioned, continuous threads that twist and shift, reorganising in rhythm with light and movement. As daylight shifts across the galleries, the work subtly changes, revealing new tonal relationships and depths...

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Image Credits:

Lead: Transformation detail. Photo: Lucy Forrester

All further images as credited in captions.