helyne jennings MA RCA

I have worked as a multi media artist creating experimental abstract textile and paper wall pieces since 1981 after graduating from the Royal College Of Art. Prior to that I trained in embroidery receiving a First Class Hons Degree at Loughborough College of Art.

Experimental textiles has always been my main passion but these experiments have led to other practices evolving taking me into the realms of paper jewellery, print and photography.

In 1981 I received a Craft Council Setting Up Grant and took up residence at Clerkenwell Workshops in London where I began my career working with galleries and Interior designers making gallery pieces and commissioned work for the Corporate Sector, Hotels and private clients in the UK and Internationally.

The receipt of a British Council Travel Scholarship in the 1980’s led to solo shows in Singapore, Japan and New Zealand with work travelling to solo shows in the UK. Pieces have been purchased for the Craft Council Collection, Singapore Museum, Raffles City, Sumitomo Corporation, Japan and GlaxoSmithKline in London with commissioned works for many major UK companies and the Church Of England.

Leaving London for Devon in 1995 I continue to produce my experimental textile work whilst diversifying even more into paper jewellery, limited edition digital textile printing and photography. 

Each discipline is integral in the progression of the other allowing me to explore scale, new practises and media and to understand and incorporate new technologies to help develop my digital art.

Travel has been a major inspiration in early work during and after college years having travelled extensively throughout Egypt, South East Asia, Japan and  and in later years through trips to Europe. The land and seascapes where I live in Devon play their part in recent work trying to capture the transient changing light and mood of my surroundings through colour, stitch, fabric, paper and thread. 

Recently, due to the sobering circumstances brought about by the current Pandemic I have been revisiting old works and techniques. This rekindling has led to an outburst of new works that have surprised and excited me, pulling me back into my love for the textile medium that had begun to feel a little remote.  

For me ideas are triggered through emotion, a response to either a current event or to something visual with pieces rapidly evolve using media in layers to create depth of colour and texture.  From these surfaces an abstract canvas of cloth and paper materialises and although the reason for these pieces are sometimes realised from negative issues I mean to convey hope and positivity.

I welcome collaborative work so please contact me if you have a new project in mind. I ran my “Paper Embellishment“  courses at West Dean College over a period of years and have collaborated with other artists to run alzheimer’s workshops and children’s workshops in the community and at festivals.

Full cv on request.