The Maker
Majeda Clarke is a woven textile artist creating blankets, scarves and wall hangings. Her blankets are woven in a traditional Welsh woollen mill using a centuries old technique from the softest lambswool. Her scarves are handwoven in Dhaka, Bangladesh on a traditional bamboo pit loom by UNESCO World Heritage weavers using a thousand year old technique. Majeda’s hand-woven art work is created in her London studio forming bespoke commissions and unique collaborations. Originally gaining a masters in English Literature, in 2015 Majeda also completed a BA Hons in textiles from the Sir John Cass School of Design.
The Object: The Albers Blanket, 2018
150 x 250 cm, Lambswool and angora. £590
The Making
Majeda is inspired by the sharp lines and block colours of the Modernist Bauhaus movement, particularly the work of Josef and Anni Albers. She is fascinated by the multiple spaces created by squares and the subsequent interaction of colour. The strong pinks and geometric form celebrate Majeda’s multicultural background of both Bengali and UK heritage. The design is woven to Majeda’s specifications in small batch production by a specialist mill in Carmarthenshire, using yarn from Yorkshire suppliers such Knoll Yarns in Ilkley and Hinchliffe in Huddersfield.
Accolades
Winner of British Muslim Awards 2018, Creativity Category; Winner of the New Designers ‘One Year On’ Development Award 2018; Cockpit Arts and Clothworkers’ Foundation Award winner 2016.
Majeda Clarke on her Signature Style
‘Weaving enables multiple variations of colours within the strict form of warp and weft. This blanket is both a challenge and celebration of those Bauhaus weavers that have so inspired me, whilst combining my own Asian cultural heritage. I have combined my cultural influences, highlighted by use of colour and pattern with a distinct European design aesthetic that reflects my Bengali British background. A recognisable heritage, the double cloth Welsh blanket, is subverted to create something modern and multicultural. It’s both playful and traditional and highlights the way that a truly multicultural artwork can’t be pigeon-holed.’
Expert Eye
Calming and elegantly composed colours with a timeless elegance and use of the finest materials. A piece to treasure, to use and to pass on to the next generation. Adam Thow