ABOUT
Jo Elbourne makes taut and layered textile works, preoccupied with the seemingly endless potential of her practice, despite its limited parameters.
It is a pared-down process with a simple yet exacting technique, rooted in the act of repetition, guided by an intuitive approach to proportion and a deeply felt relationship to colour.
Her compositions create a sense of space and equilibrium holding ideas around continuity, flow, rhythm and redirection through considered asymmetric arrangements.
A singular material - braided cotton - is used both in its raw state and as a carrier of colour. Cumulatively these rows of cord form a series of pathways and intersecting moments into abstract narratives.
Jo Elbourne attended Wimbledon School of Art at foundation level and went on to earn a BA from Ravensbourne College of Design before a career in clothing design.
In 2O17, with an initial focus on creating objects of use, Jo's early works - a small collection of chairs and stools with woven seats - were selected for the British Craft Pavilion at London Design Festival. Her distinctive take on a traditional technique garnered critical attention and won an Elle Decoration British Design Award in the same year.
Although initially recognised for furniture pieces, Jo's attention naturally turned towards exploring her ideas free from the limitations of functionality.
She is based in the coastal town of Margate in southeast England.
Portrait by Kat Green
EXHIBITIONS
2O22
(Forthcoming) Starting Here - Rodić Davidson, London
Gathering Ground - Kobi & Teal, Somerset (View online)
Materiality - Kindred House, Margate
2O21
An Act of Making - Yorkton Workshops, London
M.A.H x London Design Festival - 5O Vyner, London
FRAMED - Kobi & Teal, Somerset
2O2O
In Company - Kobi & Teal, Somerset
2O19
Four - The Flower Factory, London
Modern Art Hire - M.A.H Gallery, London
Three Point Turn - Kobi & Teal, Somerset
bauhaus - Kobi & Teal, Somerset
Showcase - 67 York Street, London
Turnbull & friends - Turnbull & Asser, London
Salon - Resort, Margate
2O18
Ensemble - Assembly Point, London
Artisan Retreat - RHS Chelsea, London
British Craft Pavilion - London Design Festival
Collection Point - Kobi & Teal, Somerset
Making Space - Kobi & Teal, Somerset
RESORT 4 - Pie Factory, Margate
2O17
British Craft Pavilion - Truman Brewery, London
Mixing Signals - Kobi & Teal, Somerset
Resort Revue - Resort, Margate
2O16
Come Out To Play - Resort, Margate
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