As Above, So Below

4 March - 15 April 2023

Riverside Gallery

Myth, ritual and folklore told through the embroidery and stitch of Amanda Glendenning. An homage to the stories told and the marking of life’s seasons by women of the past.

This body of work encapsulates the alchemy of hand embroidery: the transformation of humble materials into precious fabrics.

MAKE Southwest Maker Member, Amanda Glendenning, took BA Hons in Embroidered Textiles at Manchester Polytechnic and then trained in traditional upholstery. All her work is underpinned by this training in hand embroidery techniques, stitches and three dimensional sculpting processes. She uses drawing, sampling and extensive background research before each new project, refining patterns and designs for both 2D and 3D elements before and during the making.

Each piece is unique, using an array of fabrics, many of them repurposed or collected over the years, with a preference for silk, cotton and linen. She uses a variety of threads, stitches and techniques to create specific effects, with the addition of vintage scraps, braids, buttons, feathers, ribbons and dried plant materials, working almost exclusively by hand.

Period costume and furnishings are very inspiring and Amanda enjoys studying old methods and reproducing them; this has included passementerie and embroidered button making.

She has made a series of pieces on the themes of metamorphosis and transformation in nature, myth and folklore, which has continued in a collection of portraits linking back to an earlier fascination with portraiture when she was young.

She is currently working on a series of illustrations based on scenes from Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest” - four of which are in the show - to be published as a picture book when completed. Her most recent piece is The Alchemy Toy Theatre, showing a key scene from the end of the play in a celebration of colour and theatricality.

Future plans include a portraiture course at Newlyn School of Art and the Florence School in Italy.