I am Kate Larkin a self-taught textile artist and photographer, specialising in hand embroidery with both skills working in harmony and influencing my work. Based in my hometown of Royal Leamington Spa- I’m a proud Leamingtonion!
This is reflected in parts of my work being based about Leamington and its surroundings. I have exhibited in Leamington Art Gallery and Museum, my photography being part of the Water, Water Everywhere exhibition, focusing of my love of derelict buildings and capturing how the town has changed over the 40+years I have lived here. My embroidery work was part of the Lost Leamington exhibition show casing a large-scale hand embroidered aerial view map of Leamington spa.
I believe the past shapes who we are and many of my family members were sewers and skilled in textiles, with a focus on make do and mend, passing down the legacy of these traditional skills, so I’d say it’s in my DNA!
Having grown up exploring fabrics, cotton, button boxes and viewing the world through a lens I take inspiration from the natural world and form. With a needle and thread, I use century old techniques and photography to create contemporary embroideries.
I explore the possibilities of pushing beyond embroideries traditional rules and boundaries, as embroidery is often classed as a craft.
I have developed a series of embroideries titled- I Am. This series of work challenges traditional embroidery concepts being ‘women’s work’ Historically embroidery offers glimpses into the everyday lives of our female predecessors – characterised by traditional views of women as submissive, silent, bowed heads, lowered eyes. The I Am series symbolises women’s inner self, focusing on depicting women’s bodies and experiences, making feminist references contrary to the expectations of embroidery- owning our own space, freedom creativity….
This work has been exhibited at The Herbert Gallery and Leamington Art Gallery and Museum.
As an embroidery artist I use needle and thread to create narratives about the natural world we live in and the encounters we have, my embroidery work is detailed depictions that invites the eye to explore them, whilst
Pushing the boundaries of what you might think of as embroidery art.
