Ainsley Hillard
Llandeilo
Hillard has an interdisciplinary approach to her art practice, embracing both textile and non-textile materials and processes including digital and traditional hand weaving, print, photography as well
Exhibiting nationally and internationally Ainsley’s research investigates the physical and metaphorical construction of cloth and its relation to body, memory and space.
Exploring a range of media, Ainsley combines traditional weaving with audio-visual technologies, print and photography to create site-specific installations.
Influence: Weaving, New technologies, Haptic, Phenomenology.
Academic
2001 - 2003 MA Visual Arts – Distinction, Curtin University, Australia
1997 - 2000 BA (Hons) Constructed Textiles - First Class, Middlesex University, UK
1996 - 1997 Foundation Studies Art & Design, Carmarthenshire College of Art, Wales
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
2021 'Into the Light of Things', Newton House, Llandeilo, Wales
2018 ‘Textures of Light’, Oriel Bevan Jones Gallery, Carmarthen, Wales
2017 ‘Textures of Light’, Oriel Queens Hall Gallery, Narberth, Wales
2014 Where Echo Talks, Aberglasney House and Gardens, Wales
2014 ‘Selected Works’, Oriel Bevan Jones Gallery, Wales
2013 ‘Process’,Artist Showcase, Oriel Mostyn, Wales
2010 Folds, Old Laundry, Newton House, Dinefwr Park & Castle, Llandeilo, UK
2008 Traces, Audio-Textile Installation, Mission Gallery, Swansea, UK.
2004 Parallax, Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth, Australia
Juried International Exhibitions
2018 9th International Fiber Art Biennale, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, China
2016 11th International Exhibition of Contemporary Textile Art, Kherson, Ukraine
2014 8th International Fiber Art Biennale, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, China
2013 The 8th Cheongju International Craft Biennale, Cheongju, South Korea
2013 Fiberart International 2013, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts USA
2012 International Fiber Art Biennale, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, China
2011 Kaunas International Textile Biennial 2011, Kaunas, Lithuania
2011 3rd International Textile Exhibition ‘Continere’, Tournai, Belgium
2010 Civic Collection of Fiber Art ‘Trame d’Autore’, Chieri, Italy
2008 ‘Inter-Spacing’, Textile Kultur Haslach, Austria
2006 International Textile Art Exhibition ‘Scythia 6’, Kherson, Ukraine
2006 York Arts Society Exhibition, York, Perth, Australia
2006 City of Melville Art Award Exhibition, Perth, Australia
2006 Town of Vincent Art Award, Perth, Australia
2005 Textile 05, International Art Exhibition, Zilinskas Art Gallery, Lithuania
2005 Northern Fibre 6, Kerava Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
2004 Fremantle Print Award, Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth, Australia
2003 Valcellina Award, Textile & Fibre Art Exhibition, Italy
2003 ‘New Technology in Textile and Fibre Art’ Textile Museum Prato, Italy
2002/03 International Textile Biennial, Ormeau Baths Gallery, Ireland
2003 ‘Hatched’ National Show, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Australia
2002 ‘Talente’ Art Fair, Munich, Germany
2002 Axis online exhibition ‘Digital Creativity’ www.axis.org.uk
2001 ‘City of Perth Craft Award’, Craftwest, Perth, Australia
Selected Group Exhibitions
2023 Y Lle Celf, National Eisteddfod of Wales
2016 ‘House’, Oriel Davies Gallery, Newton, Wales
2015 The Sensorial Object, Oriel Q, Narberth, Wales
2015 The Sensorial Object, Craft in the Bay, Cardiff, Wales
2015 Waunifor Summer Exhibition, Wales
2015 Dan Y Goeden, Oriel Bevan Jones Gallery, Carmarthen, Wales
2014 Fiber Art International, San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, California
2014 Fiber Art International, American Textile Museum, Massachusettes
2014 Collect’, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
2013 ‘Collect’, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
2013 ‘The County Show’, Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Carmarthen, Wales
2012 ‘Light & Shadow’, Ruthin Craft Centre, Ruthin, Wales
2012 ‘Collect’, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
2011 ‘Re: Prefix’ Textile Exhibition, Hyogo Museum of Art, Hyogo, Japan
2011 ‘Re: Prefix’ Textile Exhibition, Western Australia Museum, Perth, Australia
2010 ‘Lux’, Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Carmarthen, Wales
2010 ‘Contemporary Textiles’, Howard Gardens Gallery, UWIC, Cardiff, Wales
2010 ‘Warp & Weft’, Touring Exhibition, Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Wales
2008 ‘Journeys’, Fibre Art Wales, Bunbury, England
2008 'Thread Bare', Manning Art Gallery, NSW, Australia
2007 (ex)Changing Traditions, Kyoto Art Centre, Japan
2006 (ex)Changing Traditions, Perth, Australia
2006 Contemporary Print Exhibition, Mundaring Art Centre, Perth, Australia
2005 ‘Mentor Exhibition’ Moores Building, Fremantle, Perth, Australia
2004 ‘Still Lives’ Craft ACT Gallery, Canberra, Australia
2004-06 ‘Homelands’, Touring Exhibition, UK & Ireland
2005 Homelands, Denbigh Library, Museum and Gallery, Wales
2003-04 Fibre Visions, Fibre Art Wales UK Touring Exhibition
2002 ‘SOFA 02’, John Curtin Gallery, Perth, Western Australia
2002 ‘Art From Wales’, Beatrice Royal Contemporary Art Gallery, UK
Commissions & Collections
2022 National Trust, Contemporary Art Collection
2014 Luke Lindoe Library, Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD)
2010 Fibre Art Collection of the City of Chieri, Italy
2004-07 Private residential commissioned artwork and Installation, Perth, Australia
2004 Selected for the Lloyd Cotsen ‘Textile Traces’ Private Collection U.S.A.
Prizes & Grants Awarded
2022 1st Prize & People Choice Award, Wales Contemporary - Cymru Gyfoes
2021 2nd Prize Award, Oriel Myrddin Gallery OPEN, Wales
2021 Bronze Medal Award, 11th Lausanne to Beijing Fiber Art, China
2019 Project Grant, Arts Council of Wales
2012-14 Creative Wales Award, Arts Council of Wales
2014 ‘Award of Excellence’, 8th Lausanne to Beijing Fiber Art, China
2013 Wales Arts International Opportunities Grant for Individuals
2013 Awarded ‘Honourable Mention’, Cheongju International Craft Biennale
2012 Awarded ‘Excellent Honourable Mention’,China Craft & Art Association
2011 Wales Arts International Opportunities Grant for Individuals
2011 1st Prize, 3rd International Contemporary Textile Art, Tournai, Belgium
2010 Arts Council of Wales Individual Training Grant
2008 Individual Project Grant, Arts Council of Wales
2006 1st Prize International Textile Art Scythia 6 Exhibition, Kherson, Ukraine
2006 York Society Art & Craft Award for works in Fibre/Textiles, Australia
2006 City of Melville Textile Award, Perth, Australia
2004 Shell Fremantle Print Award, Perth, Australia
2003 Valcellina 2003, Selected Artist Award, Italy
2003 VACB Craft Grant, Arts Council of Australia.
2001 & 2002 The James Pantyfedwen Foundation Scholarship, Wales, UK
Residencies & Workshops
2010 - Selected Artist Mentor, Engage Cymru Project, Carmarthen, Wales
2009 - Artist in Residence/Weaving Workshops, Women’s Aid & Oriel Myrddin, Carmarthen
2005 - Selected Artist, International Textile Technology Workshop, Helsinki, Finland
2001 -2002 - Artist in Residency, PICA, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, Australia
Conferences & Presentations
2021 'In Conversation' with Ceri Jones, film commissioned by National Trust
2021 Artist Practitioner Talk, University of Wales, Trinity St David, Wales
2017 Public Artist Talk, Textures of Light, Oriel Q Gallery, Narberth, Wales
2015 Public Artist Talk, Sensorial Object, Oriel Q Gallery, Narberth, Wales
2015 Invited Speaker, Visiting Lecture Programme, Coleg Sir Gar, Carmarthen
2014 Public Artist Talk, 'Where Echo Talks' Aberglasney, Wales
2013 ‘A Dialogue with the Artists’, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Pittsburgh, U.S.A.
2013 Wearable Futures, Research Strand Presentation, Ravensbourne University, London
2011 ‘Rewind into the Future’, International Kaunas Exhibition and Seminar. Lithuania
Employment
2016 - 2021 Lecturer, Historical Contextual Studies Programme, UWTSD.
2015 – 2016 Coordinator, MDES Surface Pattern Design, Swansea College of Art, UWTSD.
2007 – 2016 Senior Lecturer, Surface Pattern Design, Swansea College of Art, UWTSD
2007 – 2021 Registered Artist, Arts Care/Gofal Celf, Wales
2007 – 2009 Weave & Textile Co-ordinator
Glasallt Fawr, Educational Centre for Young Adults with Learning Disabilities, Wales
2003 - 2007 Technical Officer, Department of Art, Curtin University, Australia
2006 - 2007 Lecturer, Department of Art, Curtin University, Australia
2004 - 2005 Research Associate. Department of Fibre & Textiles, Curtin University, Australia
Publications
Books
2014 Print. Fashion, Interiors & Art. Laurence King Publishing. S. Clarke.P. 49 -52. ( ISBN: 9781780671673)
2012 Warp & Weft. Woven Textiles in Fashion, Art and Interiors. Jessica Hemmings. A & C Black Publishers Ltd, London. ( ISBN: 9781408134443)
2012 Digital Visions for Fashion & Textiles: Made in Code. S. E. Braddock-Clarke. Thames & Hudson, London ( ISBN: 9780500516447)
2007 TechnoTextiles2. Marie O’ Mahony & Sarah E. Braddock. Thames & Hudson, London (ISBN: 9780500286845)
2004 Fiberarts, Design Book 7. S. Kieffer. Larks Books, U.S.A ( ISBN: 9781579905217)
Selected Journal Publications
2015 Journal for Weavers, Spinners & Dyers, Exhibition Review
2011 Journal for Weavers, Spinners & Dyers, No. 237, Folds Review by C, Cundiff, p. 41
2010 Selvedge, Sep/Oct, Issue 36, ‘Folds Review’ by Angela Maddock, p. 90
2009 Textile Forum Magazine, Issue 1, No. 93, 2009, p. 51-2
2005 Monument, Issue 68, Aug/Sep, ‘Design Atlas’ Profile by Andrew Nicholls, p.91
2005 Object Magazine, Issue 47, ‘Emerging’ by Emily Howes, pp.30-31 Australia
2005 Insite 3 Magazine, ‘Crafty Business’ Sarah Szabo, pp 48-50 Australia
2004 Art Monthly, September 2004 Issue 173, Art Notes by Ric Spencer, pp. 51 Australia
2003 Surface Design Magazine, Volume 28-1, Autumn, 2003. U.S.A.
2003 Object Magazine, Issue 42, Review ‘In Passing’ by Ann Schilo, p. 82 Australia
2003 Textile Forum, Volume 1/2003, ‘New Techniques & New Materials’ pp 34-35
2003 Textile Fibre Forum, Volume 22, Issue 2, No. 70, pp 22-23 Australia
2002 Textile Forum, Volume 2, ‘Talents 2002’ by Beatrijs Sterk. P.13.
Selected Exhibition Catalogues
2015 The Sensorial Object. Makers Guild in Wales. ISBN: 978-0-9566868-8-6
2014 8th Contemporary Fiber Art Biennale, China. ISBN: 978-7-112184569
2013 8th Cheongju International Craft Biennale Catalogue, Korea
2013 Fiberart International, Exhibition of Contemporary Fiber Art Catalogue, U.S.A
2012 ‘Shadow to Light’, Ruthin Crafts Center. ISBN: 978-1-905865-50-5
2012 ‘From Lausanne to Beijing’, 7th International Fiber Art. ISBN: 978-7-112-14746-5
2011 ‘Kaunas Biennial Textile ’11: Rewind – Play – Forward’. ISBN: 9789955958741
2010 ‘Warp & Weft’, Oriel Myrddin Gallery. ISBN: 9780955143427
2008 ‘Interspacing’, Textile Culture Haslach, Haslach, Austria. ISBN: 9783950256406
2006 Textile 05, International Art Exhibition, Zilinskas Art Gallery, Lithuania
2005 Northern Fibre 6, (Wo)man & Technology, Kerava Art Museum, Finland
2004 Fremantle Print Award, Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth, Australia
2004 ‘Homelands’, Fiber Art Wales, United Kingdom
2004 ‘Still Lives’, Craft ACT Gallery, Canberra, Australia
2003 ‘Artists at Work: New Technology in Textile and Fibre Art’,
Textile Museum Prato, Italy
2003 ‘The Gaps Between’ International Textile Biennial, Ormeau Baths Gallery, Ireland
2003 ‘Hatched’, PICA (Perth Institute of Contemporary Art)
2003 SofA 02, No. 8 Catalogue Western Australia Art, Curtin University, Australia
2003 ‘Talente 2002’, International Fair, Munich, Germany
Become a member
We support our members with: insurance, networks, space, opportunities, R&D awards, profiling, advice and mentoring.
Become a member