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.

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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.

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Portrait by Kat Green 

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