Jo Elbourne's work is preoccupied with the singular act of wrapping cotton braid in one direction against another. 

Her practice is, both literally and figuratively, concerned with the idea of managing tension, resulting in taut and layered abstract compositions. 

While an element of planning is involved ahead of constructing each piece, initial decisions on colour and proportion are led by intuition, regardless of theory or system, allowing both artist and viewer the potential to find moments of pause, redirection, balance and momentum. 

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Jo returned to hands-on making after spending over a decade as a clothing designer.

Various experiments with textiles, combined with a self-imposed rule to create objects of use rather than ornament, gradually led to a distinctive and modern take on the age-old craft of seat weaving. 

It was this work which first gained critical attention, being selected for the British Craft Pavilion at the 2017 London Design Festival, and bringing an Elle Decoration British Design Award in the same year.

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Later, moving away from the limitations of functional furniture, she turned her attention to larger scale wall-based artworks which are now her main focus.

 

She lives and works in the coastal town of Margate in the South East of England.

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Portrait by Kat Green at Resort Studios, Margate - 2018

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