Aran Illingworth

St. Neots, Cambridgeshire, U.K

Aran’s work focuses on portraiture and depiction of the human figure in textiles, inspired by the people around her and using photographs as an input. Aran’s work is a visual narrative, which is intended to convey a certain emotion and which focuses on subjects carrying a specific message and meaning. 

Textile has a specific tactility as well as an extraordinary ability to provoke an emotional response, and Aran has found it an extremely effective and rewarding material to use in her art practice.  

Aran’s work focuses on portraiture and depiction of the human figure in textiles, using appliqué panels where the underlying fabric is layered and then overstitched. Aran has developed a sewing technique that allows her to blend colours and establish tonalities in a manner reminiscent of the techniques used in paintings.   The direction in which the threads are sewn mimics the layering of brush marks within a painting and this, in turn, creates an illusion of depth, volume, and form. Aran’s stitching methodology borders on the obsessive, but ultimately allows her visually to evoke painterly renditions of the human form. 

Find out more about Aran Illingworth:

Website www.aran-i.com

Instagram @aranillingworth

Facebook @aran.illingworth