FIBRE.ART.WALES - artists
Laura Thomas - CV
2001 - 2003 Design Fellow, Ann Sutton Foundation, international weave design research centre, UK.
1999 - 2001 MA Constructed Textiles Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London
1996 - 1999 BA (HONS) Fashion/Textiles - First Class University of Central England, Gosta Green, Birmingham
Awards:
2007 Creative Wales Award, Arts Council of Wales
2006 Selected designer featured in Cardiff Design Festival
2004 Theo Moorman Charitable Trust grant
2003 Arts Council Wales 'Capacity Building' grant
2001 Texere Yarns sponsorship prize
2000 Osborne and Little scholarship award
2000 Worshipful Company of Haberdasherers Portfolio Award
2000 John Lewis Design Competition winner
2000 George Spencer Design Award winner
1999 Emma Jesse Phipps scholarship award
Commissions:
2006 Bartholomew House Kings Fund Project Five hand woven 'banners' for an NHS mental health unit in Hull, UK.
2005 Commission to design the 2005 Menter a Busnes Awards, Wales
2004 Textile wall hanging commission for The Crafts Study Centre foyer space, UK.
2003-04 Project Poetry! Collaborative visual arts/poetry project with Andrew Dilger, UK.
2003 Arts Council England South East. Three hand-woven fabric lengths for Brighton Office.
2002 Worshipful Company of Weavers. Wall hanging commission for City of London offices, which joined The V&A permanent collection in January 2005.
Exhibitions:
2007 Stroudwater Textile Festival, Stroud
2007 'Textiles in Triple Focus', Waterfront Gallery, Wales
2007 'Llif', Flow Gallery, London and Oriel Myrrddin Gallery, Wales
2006 'Pemelope's Thread', V&A, London
2006 'Catalyst' group exhibition at The Ruthin Gallery, Wales
2006 Wales@ Time Warner Building, New York
2005 Group exhibition at the West Wales School of the Arts
2005 'Verve' group exhibition at The Ruthin Gallery, Wales
2005 Solo exhibition at Context, textiles gallery in Cardiff Bay
2005 Textile showcase at the Welsh Clothing and Textiles Association, Caernarfon.
2005 Exhibition of textile design development work at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff.
2005 Ongoing exhibition and sale of work at Context, textiles gallery in Cardiff Bay, Wales
2004 Exhibition of work in the Arts Council of Wales Cardiff office.
2004 Ongoing exhibition and sale of work at Craft in the Bay, The Makers Guild of Wales gallery in Cardiff.
2004 COLLECT Crafts Council fair at The V&A, February 2004, represented by The Lesley Craze Gallery
2004 Exhibition and sale of work at The Lesley Craze Gallery, London
2002 Arts and Business, Contemporary Craft Exhibition, London
2002 Chelsea Crafts Fair, London. Produced first own label collection of throws and cushions for this event.
2002 'One Year On at 100% Design', London
2002 'The Ann Sutton Foundation' launch exhibition, Arundel, W. Sussex
2002 'Weave: Ann Sutton Foundation Design Fellows 2001 - 2003', City Gallery, Leicester
2001 The Show, Royal College of Art
2001 London Fashion Week
Research / Consultancy:
2006 Research Consultant, Creative Industries Research & Innovation Centre, Swansea, Wales
2005-06 Visiting Research Fellow, Smart Clothes & Wearable Technology, University of Wales, Newport
2004 EU-funded GAIN licensing research project for Melin Tregwynt.
2004-05 Cywaith Cymru Artworks Wales 'Artist at Work'. Collaborative R&D project with Hafod Grange ltd.
2003-04 Thermoplastic fabric research with Sam Walker, UK
Selected media coverage and Publications:
2007 County Living, Pembrokeshire Life, Western Telegraph & Milford Mercury
2006 'Catalyst' Ruthin Crafts Centre exhibition publication
June 06 The Journal of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers - feature article and back cover
2005 'Verve' Ruthin Crafts Centre exhibition publication
2005 Selvedge: picture of Crafts Study Centre commission
2004 Work chosen to illustrate the Arts Council of Wales Annual Report
2005 Work chosen to illustrate the Cultural Enterprise Annual Report and promotional leaflets
2003 Woman's Hour, Radio 4, feature about The Ann Sutton Foundation Fellows
2002 Living etc, designs included in photo shoot
2002 - 03 Various articles about the ASF Fellows including The Times, The Independent, Textile View, International Textiles and Crafts Magazine
2002 Ann Sutton Foundation, publication to accompany The City Gallery exhibition
June 02 The Journal of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers - front cover
2001 Work chosen to illustrate Dept. of Culture, Media & Sport Annual Report
2001 Woven fabrics featured in a trend report in International Textiles
Societies:
FIBRE.ART.WALES |The Makers Guild in Wales
Current position:
2003- current Freelance woven textile designer, consultant and artist, working independently from a fully
equipped studio in the centre of Cardiff.
2006- current Research Consultant, Creative Industries Research & Innovation Centre, Swansea, Wales
2006- current Research Associate, Smart Clothes & Wearable Technology Centre at University of Wales, Newport
2004- current Part time BA Contemporary Textiles tutor in weave at the West Wales School of the Arts
Freelance design:
2007, Freelance Designer, Inch Blue
2006 Freelance Designer, Natural Fibre Company, UK
2006 Woven samples sold to Larsen, USA
2005 Commission to produce fabric for the 'Cartref' Welsh showcase exhibition at Casa Foa, Argentina.
2005 Woven samples sold to John Lewis Partnership, Montgomery Interior Fabrics and The Ashley Wilde Group, UK
2005 Freelance fabric design and production for Cazzul, a soft furnishings manufacturer, UK
2004- current Freelance designer for Melin Tregwynt, UK
2003-04 Freelance jacquard designer for Parry Murray, UK
2003 Woven samples sold to Osborne and Little, UK
2003 The Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Textile design development for the upholstery, acoustic wall panels and stage curtain for the primary auditorium.
2003 E&S Smith, UK . Design and development of woven home furnishing fabrics.
2002 Bedeck Ltd., Ireland. Weave CAD design work for bed linen.