Maker Member Show 2025 Awards

News

10 Jul

Written By Laura Wasley

President’s Prize

Merlyn Chesterman | Printmaking

Life Rock
Weather Pattern
Gale Force

Congratulations to Merlyn Chesterman who is the winner of this year’s Maker Member Show President’s Prize!

MAKE Southwest President Peter Randall-Page RA carefully considered all of the submissions for the Maker Member Show before selecting Merlyn’s work for the award. He was ‘blown away’ by her weather triptych, and called them ‘powerful and affecting’.

Merlyn Chesterman RE was brought up in Hong Kong and returned to England to study Fine Art at Bath Academy of Art in the 1960s.

Merlyn became a woodblock printmaker in 2000 after a visit to Northern China. She has work in the collections of the V&A, The Edward James Foundation at West Dean College, and with private collectors.

She has exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Show and the London Original Print Show at the RA regularly, and with the Society of Wood Engravers and the Society of Painter-Printmakers. She was an invited artist at the Shanghai International Printmaking Show and conference, and studied on an Arts Council funded trip to the Purple Bamboo Studio at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou.

Merlyn is also the founding member of a collaboration of woodblock printmakers known as Pine Feroda, who have also exhibited at the Royal Academy.

On accepting the award, Merlyn said the following:

“I have always liked the potential power of woodcuts. At scale, and with a good tailwind, an emotion can transfer from where it originates directly through the tool to the block, without much processing. That spirit then prints, again and again. It is risky, but it is worth it for when it works. These woodcuts have been created with the crisis in the Middle East never far from my mind, coupled with environmental concerns. I swim to Life rock, at Hartland Quay, frequently, wave size permitting. It has saved lives over the years, as it is never submerged. It is emblematic of safety and optimism.”

Selection Committee Award for Excellence

Congratulations to Kate Toms and PJW Woodworks who are joint winners of this year’s Maker Member Show Selection Committee Award for Excellence!

Kate Toms | Mixed Media

Tiny Figure

Mixed media artist Kate Toms says, “My most recent work has presented me with the challenge of working to a smaller scale and given me an excuse to revisit my love for the dolls house!

Her little figure was created over a wire frame using vintage fabrics and salvaged wrapping paper and newspaper, with simple processes of needlefelt and hand stitch.

“When we peer, we are forced to appreciate and consider the detail in things,” says Kate. “I hope my 'Tiny Figure' will encourage viewers to lean in and rediscover some of that wonder for themselves.”

“It is a thrill for me to see my work displayed alongside such a varied and glorious selection of makers’ work and an absolute honour to have been awarded the joint Selection Committee Prize.”

PJW Woodworks | Wood

Natural Inflection

Furniture designer-maker Paul Ward won the award for his handcrafted sideboard made from local Ash and Oak timber, which draws inspiration from daily wanderings across Dartmoor with his faithful companions at heel.

“Rooted in traditional craftsmanship but made using a mix of hand tools and modern techniques, this piece celebrates fine joinery, thoughtful detail, and the quiet satisfaction of well-made furniture,” says Paul.

The piece features textured panels and a drawer front inspired by the gentle wind patterns that ripple across Dartmoor's water ponds, and serves multiple practical purposes: designed to fit perfectly within an alcove beneath a wall-mounted drinks cabinet, it provides essential storage while creating a harmonious connection between functional elements in the space.

What makes this sideboard unique is its inclusion of a cozy, open-fronted pet refuge — a reflection of those shared journeys where paws and boots tread the same ancient paths.

“I’m thrilled to have received the Selection Committee Award for Excellence", says Paul. "It’s a real honour to have my work recognised in this way.”

Green Maker Initiative Award

Vivien Prideaux | Textiles

No Other Land

Congratulations to Vivien Prideaux, who is the winner of the Maker Member Show 2025 GMI Award!

Vivien’s piece, 'No Other Land', has been selected for the Green Maker Initiative Award for its embodiment of sustainable making, cultural storytelling, and environmental integrity.

At its core, the piece draws inspiration from Tatreez, the traditional Palestinian embroidery practiced by women for generations. Prideaux honours this heritage not only through technique, but through a respect for material, process, and meaning.

What sets 'No Other Land' apart is its holistic commitment to sustainability. Prideaux uses low-impact and sustainably minded methods throughout the making process - indigo dyeing, handweaving, and stitching with natural fibres - ensuring a minimal environmental footprint. These practices reflect a thoughtful, regenerative approach to textile art, in stark contrast to the wasteful processes of industrial production.

The piece is so much more than just its materials. It is a powerful statement on the role of craft in preserving identity, memory, and connection to place. By rooting the work in the handmade traditions of a displaced people, Prideaux challenges fast fashion’s disposability with a message of longevity and emotional durability. The garment is not just sustainable in its physical makeup - it is imbued with meaning and intergenerational value.

Though its fibres and dyes could return safely to the earth, 'No Other Land' is not made to be thrown away. Like Tatreez garments, they are made to be worn, loved, repaired, and passed on - their longevity not only environmental, but cultural and personal.

Special credit should also be given to the following exhibitors for their use of sustainable materials, methods, and techniques: SarahB, Jane Deane, Anna Pope, Ian Hankey and byAliceWood.