© Chris Ofili. The Caged Bird's Song, 2014–2017 Wool, cotton and viscose © Chris Ofili. Courtesy the artist and Victoria Miro, London, The Clothworkers’ Company and Dovecot Tapestry Studio, Edinburgh. Photography: Gautier Deblonde
Dovecot Tapestry Studio has worked with Turner Prize-winning artist Chris Ofili on a new tapestry titled The Caged Bird’s Song.
Commissioned by The Clothworkers’ Company, Ofili has been collaborating closely with the weavers since 2014 to see his design translated into a hand-woven tapestry, which took two and a half years to complete. The imagery in this new tapestry reflects Ofili’s ongoing interest in classical mythology and contemporary ‘demigods’, together with the stories, magic and colour of the Trinidadian landscape he inhabits.
The tapestry is on show now at The National Gallery in London, as the centrepiece to an exhibition titled
Weaving Magic, until 28 August 2017, and will be hung in its permanent home in Clothworkers’ Hall, in the heart of the City of London, following this exhibition.
Describing the collaboration and the tapestry, Dovecot Studios Director David Weir said “We were thrilled when The Clothworkers’ Company embraced Dovecot’s proposal for a Chris Ofili designed tapestry for their Livery Hall, and by Chris’ interest in accepting the commission. Chris’ instinctive response to the medium and openness to collaborate is wonderful. The time taken for thoughtful interchanges with the weaving team to understand the medium, have resulted in an extraordinarily beautiful design.”
Dovecot Tapestry Studio is a world-renowned producer of hand-woven tapestry and gun-tufted rugs. Continuing a century-long heritage of making and collaboration with leading international contemporary artists, the Studio weavers are dedicated to producing extraordinary and engaging works of art by commission from private and public collectors from across the globe.
In 1946, the Studios were incorporated as The Edinburgh Tapestry Company. Dovecot soon became established as a leading contemporary fine art tapestry studio, with works commissioned for major public, corporate and academic institutions worldwide. As a key player in the renaissance of tapestry in the 20th century, Dovecot’s Master Weavers worked with many leading contemporary artists including David Hockney, Henry Moore, Frank Stella and RB Kitaj. Dovecot’s Master Weavers continue to work to commission, producing tapestry and tufted rugs for private and public collectors.
Find out more
DovecotStudios.com
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© Chris Ofili. Photography Gautier Deblonde[/caption]
