Gwenda Culkin

Boro Inspired Collection: Rags and Tatters Boro textiles originated out of desperate necessity in the Tohoku region of Japan. Poor farming communities created amazing textiles from little more than rags and these have only recently become valued for their outstanding beauty. Everything from work clothes to futon bedding was sewn using layer upon layer of old worn cloth to create warmth and insulation. The Boro textiles enabled survival and were passed on from generation to generation, being patched and re-patched as needed. The concept of re-using and re-shaping old fabrics to create new pieces is very appealing to me and I am currently developing work based on this theme. I produce textiles and mixed media pieces by patching, piecing and layering old fabric and paper.