ALCYONEUM OCEANUS

About the project

Alcyoneum Oceanus explores the relationship between combining unconventional materials such as concrete, resin and recycled plastics with delicate embroidery to create contemporary bespoke embroidered designs for the fashion accessory or interiors art market.

Strikingly beautiful, enchanting and brilliantly coloured majestic corals sparkle beneath the surface in shallow crystal clear turquoise oceans. and intricate, 3d embroideries capture the essence of the coral reefs and bring it to life. Pools of resin provide calm contrasts to very busy reefs. The embroideries are often unplanned so that attention is given to contemplate the placement of every stitch, sequin or bead. Being responsive to both colour and shape enables highly detailed and decorative structures that enables a piece to flow. These embroidered pieces are often encased in resin preserving the embroideries for many years to come.

Inspiration for both the materials and subject matter were born from trips to the Caribbean and witnessing first-hand the devastation to our coral reefs whilst learning how to scuba dive and earning the PADI open water certification. The collection explores the issues surrounding climate change, rising sea temperatures and plastic pollution and how conservationists are supporting new climates for coral.

ALCYONEUM INSULA

Playful and intricate 3d embroideries capture the essence of coral reefs and bring them to life in this wearable art collar. Pools of resin provide calm contrasts to very busy reefs.

100% Wool felt base with wool felt balls. Seed beads, silk threads, Japanese thread, pearl purl, rough & smooth purl, swarovski crystals and bicones, sequins. Epoxy resin inserts coloured with mica powders.

DEVASTATED CORAL

1st Prize winner in the Bradford Textiles Competition 2019-2020 LAPA Charitable Trust Award for an embroidered textile design for fashion/accessories or interior products, created using hand embroidery techniques.

Depicts the devastating process of how the rising sea temperatures affect our corals causing them to bleach then die and become covered in algae.

Techniques: Tambour Beadwork, goldwork, hand embroidery

Materials: Seed Beads, pearl purl, rough purl, cotton on a base of silk organza

AN UNFATHOMABLE BEAUTY 2020

An island of coral reefs with surrounding oceans.

Set of 9 hand embroidered blocks encased in resin inset into a large seascape of epoxy resin. Techniques: Tambour embroidery, hand beading, couching, french knots with pearl purl

SUBSTRATUM

Substratum represents the work that marine biologists around the globe are doing to protect our corals by building artificial reefs made from various substrates.

1st Prize winner in the Bradford Textiles Competition 2019 – 2020 Clothworkers Company Award for a material construction for fashion/accessories or interior products produced by non convention processes and/or materials or by new technologies.

Intricate coral reef embroideries set into layers of concrete and encased in epoxy resin