Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 May 2021, 2-5pm BST (British Summer Time, London, UK)

Virtual Workshop, hosted on Zoom by Anya Paintsil

Anya Paintsil is a Welsh-Ghanaian artist who seeks to centre her practice around skills learnt outside an art education context; working with methods of rug hooking, embroidery, and afro hair dressing techniques to create wall based textile pieces.

Drawing from personal narratives, Paintsil’s work frequently focuses on the significance of race and black identity outside of urban areas, feminism, memory, storytelling and fantasy.

Outline of workshop
Rug hooking is a craft in which rugs are made by pulling, punching or knotting pieces of yarn through woven fabric to create loops or cut pile. Traditionally a craft to use of scraps of fabric, originating from weaving mill workers in the 19th century, Anya learnt these techniques from her grandmother as a child.

During the workshop Anya will teach participants the basics of rug hooking, focusing on the use of the latch hook tool. You will have creative control over what you wish to create during the workshop using the tools provided. Participants will be sent a materials, but this is a great way to repurpose scraps from other projects and a good opportunity to experiment with some non traditional materials. Anya frequently uses human and synthetic hair in her work and suggests you could include things like old clothes or plastic bags. Throughout the workshop Anya will guide you as to how to manipulate these different materials and create your own unique rugs.

Materials list (not provided)

• Latch hook
• Latch hook rug canvas
• Chunky yarn - can be acrylic or natural
• Yarn scraps they may have been used for other projects or perhaps cut up t-shirt scraps/fabric scraps

Workshop Cancellation Policy
All places reserved on workshops are non refundable, however, if you let us know you are not able to make a workshop you have booked at least two weeks prior to the event, we will re-advertise your place and refund your fee as long as we are able to sell your place and the workshop is fully booked.

If you would like further information about the workshop, please contact Catherine Harris, events@selvedge.org.