Wednesday 9 - Sunday 13 September, 11-6 p.m.: Exhibition, Stitching Praxis, Dr. Claire Wellesley-Smith

Batsford Gallery and Bookshop, 266 Hackney Rd, London E2 7SJ, United Kingdom

Claire Wellesley-Smith is an artist, writer and researcher based in West Yorkshire whose practice spans visual art, socially engaged research, writing and curation. Working internationally for more than twenty years, Claire’s projects often focus on communities connected to former industrial textile regions across the UK and Europe, using textiles as a way to explore memory, labour, heritage and place.

Through hand stitch, natural dye and collaborative making, her work considers how textiles can hold stories and create connections between people, landscape and histories of production. Her influential books Slow Stitch and Resilient Stitch, both published by Batsford, have become important references for contemporary textile practitioners interested in mindful and process-led making. Her book Reflective Stitch is published by Batsford, September 2026.

Event Description
Presented at the Batsford Gallery, Stitching Praxis brings together a body of textile works that use hand stitch as both memoir and material language. Created using naturally dyed cloth coloured with plants gathered from community gardens and former industrial sites, the pieces evolve slowly over time through improvised marks and repeated gestures of stitching.

Each thread and mark becomes a reflection of place, memory and lived experience, connecting contemporary textile practice with the histories embedded within northern England’s industrial landscapes. First shown at the Biennial of Textile Art BIEN in Slovenia, this exhibition marks the first UK presentation of the work, offering visitors an intimate and thoughtful exploration of cloth, process and the quiet power of stitch.

Please note, this is a free event. To reserve your place, simply add a ticket to your cart and complete the checkout process in our shop. No payment details are required.

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