Artist Statement + CV
I began my artistic career as a Painter & Illustrator but I’m now best known for my embroidered 2D and sculptural textiles. My work is playful with a dark, sometimes subversive, edge. I like to populate spaces with a menagerie of animal or half-animal creatures and they often have their roots in familiar archetypes from Fairy Tales or from a mythological and nostalgic past. I love folklore and objects which have totemic or magical connotations. I have become interested lately in making ‘Shamanic’ creatures. They are very much a product of the time I spend in Norway. I use snippets of text, scrawled, typed or embroidered over surfaces, as well as photographs and ephemera, which I print onto fabric. I respond to objects and texts and their domestic and historical significance – things which carry their own narrative threads and emotional connections to people. I am, by nature, a collector, gathering ‘treasure’ like a Magpie; objects, ephemera, rags, clothes, photographs, poems, texts – things used and worn away by human contact. I have a sense that a person retains a spark of life through the collecting and treasuring of things and the stories (real or imagined) that can be told about them.”
Education
2000 - MA Fine Art, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds
1997 - BA Art & Design, Bradford School of Art, Bradford
Solo exhibitions
2014 Charred Words for Old Birds Epiphany Gallery, Wakefield (Sept)
2013 Menagerie South Square Arts Centre, Thornton
2012 New Continental "Up" exterior installation in Avenham Park and accompanying exhibition, Preston
2012 Secret Tea Party installation, Woodend, Scarborough
2010 Frou Frou Fabric Gallery, Centenary Square, Bradford
2009 Minor Repairs Brass Gallery, Leeds
2009 Poison, Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bradford
2008 Frou-Frou, Unit 9 Gallery, Bradford
2007 Poison, South Square Gallery, Bradford
2006 AtoB, Gallerija Celica, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Selected Group exhibitions
2016 Commemoration, Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford (upcoming 10 Sept - 29 Oct)
2016 Convergence, Festival Hall, Grassington (upcoming 28 June - 2 July)
2016 Migration, The Wishbone Gallery, Grassington (upcoming 18 June - 28 Aug)
2016 Taught, Dyehouse Gallery, Bradford School of Art, Bradford
2016 Still Still Life, Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford
2015 Touched, Ground floor Gallery, Nashville, Tennessee
2015 Decadent Drawing invoke Dark Arts, Bram Stoker International Film Festival, Whitby
2015 The Guild Contemporary Textiles exhibition + Symposium, Temple Works, Leeds
2015 The Art of Remembering (touring) Beacon Museum, Whitehaven
2015 Chionodoxa (glory of the snow) Cupola Contemporary Art, Sheffield
2015 In the Making, South Square Gallery, Thornton
2014 The Art of Remembering The Rheged, Penrith, Cumbria
2014 Process Cupola Gallery, Sheffield
2014 Wonder:An Exhibition for the Curious Wishbone Gallery, Grassington
2013 Curiosity Acquired 20-21 Arts Centre, Scunthorpe
2012 4 Legs Good, 2 Legs Bad The Beetroot Tree Gallery, Draycott, Derbyshire
2011/12 Birds : Elementals St Lawrence University Gallery, New York and at R Space Gallery, Lisburn, Northern Ireland
2011/12 Yorkshire Art Loop Pop Up Art Space, Bradford + West Yorkshire Print Workshop, Mirfield
2011 Drawing with Thread The Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford
2010 Freaks Shoreditch Town Hall Gallery, London
2010 Pornograph Brass Gallery, Leeds
2009 Flights of Fancy Grassington Festival, Grassington
2009 Colouring Outside the Lines Gallery II, University of Bradford
2009 Project DoDai Galerija Škuc, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2008 Flesh Bradford Gallery, Yorkshire Craft Centre, Bradford
2008 Ship of Fools Yarra Sculpture Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
2008 SCOPE New York Art Fair with Jack the Pelican Presents Gallery, New York
2008 Pricked: Extreme Embroidery Museum of Arts & Design, New York
2007 Art for Nothing Mestna Galerija, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
2007 Art for Nothing Hoxton Square Gallery, London
2006 The French Re-Evolution Bethnal Green Working Mens Club, London
2006 In Two Minds Dean Clough Galleries, Halifax
2006 Au creux du Desir Hackney Empire Theatre, London
2005 Illuminate Launch Event, Illuminate Festival, Centenary Square, Bradford
2005 In Two Minds Yorkshire Craft Centre, Bradford
2004 Tongue in Cheek Northern Quarter Gallery, Manchester
2003 Arena Open (Prize winner), Arena Gallery, Liverpool
2003 The Tenderness of Pain Tower Contemporary Arts Centre, York
2002 The Independent (curated by A-Foundation) Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool
2001 Idea: A Mongrel Monitor Project Showrooms, Sheffield
2001 Yorkshire Open (prize winner) Wakefield Arts Mill, Wakefield
2000 Lost & Found, Leeds Metropolitan Uni Gallery, Leeds
Public Art & Commissions
2014 The Art of Remembering WWI commission for The Rheged Museum in Cumbria.
2013 Threads That Bind Us, Heritage Textile, Bradford City Hall, commissioned large scale permanent work
2013 Emporium of Dreams, Bradford, Mural & Textile Sculpture Commission, Ole Luk Oie
2012 'Up' commissioned new, large scale, temporary, outdoor works for They Eat Culture & Preston Guild, curated by Wayne + Gerardine Hemingway
2012 'Secret Tea Party' Crysalis Arts commission to create new work at Woodend, Scarborough
2012 The Peeky Hole, Lincolnshire Council + Licolnshire Wildlife Trustl, Coastal Public Art – Bird Viewing area design, construction, installation
2011 Oves Mira Mechanica Bradford Industrial Museum, large scale Interactive artwork / sculptural furniture
2011 Animal Benches Pupil Referral Unit, Idle, outdoor sculptural seating
2011 Carlisle Business Centre Signage, commissioned artworks series + Interior Design scheme, Bradford
2009 Holmfirth Tiger,Wall Frieze, Holmfirth Library, Huddersfield Arts & Libraries
2009 House - Manningham Revive Architectural and Interior Design for housing project, Green Cities Architects + Artworks for Bradford Council
2008 The Shipley Sheep, Shipley Town Centre Stone, Ironwork + Mosaic Sculpture, Shipley Council, Shipley
2008 Museum table Commission Cartwright Hall Gallery, Bradford
2007 Linfield Mount Hospital Permanant Exterior Garden Artwork, Bradford
2007 Hansas Restaurant Interior & Exterior Artwork Scheme, Leeds
2006 English Heritage Textile commission Chichele College, Oxford & Bolsover Castle, English Heritage
2006 Haworth Net Textile commission, Haworth Festival, Haworth
2005 "Home Is ...." English Heritage Textile Project Cabinet of Curiosities, Lincoln
2005 With This Pencil I Can . . Outdoor Table Commission, Bracken Hall Countryside Centre, Bradford Museums & Galleries
2004 Puccinos Restaurant & Café Bar Large Scale Interior Design + Artwork Scheme Commission Morley, Leeds
2003 Waterfront Banners Simon’s Architects + Lincoln City Council
2003 Exterior Mosaic Frieze Hoyle Court School, Baildon
2003 The Matrix Interior Artwork mosaic wall friezes, Skipton
2002 Victoria Hotel Interior Artwork, mosaic wall friezes, Halifax
2000/2001 Gaudis Bar / The White Room Large Scale Interior & Exterior Mosaic Artwork Scheme, Bradford
Residencies
2012 New Continental, They Eat Culture, Preston - Residency linked to "Up" commission, Preston Guild, Curated by Wayne + Gerardine Hemingway
2010 Meanwhile...A Cabinet of Curiosities Stockton Museum Service, Stockton-on-Tees
2006 Moving Stories Radical Brontes/Illuminate - Bronte Parsonage Museum / South Square Gallery, Haworth / Thornton
2005 Something of The Night Education Residency, Leeds City Art Gallery, Leeds
2003 Experimental Mapping in Scarborough, working with Eventus Sheffield
Projects
2009 - 16 SIRF Carnival Stockton International Riverside Festival, parade structures & costumes, Stockton-on-Tees
2016 Shipley Street Arts Festival: Illustration commission
2015 - 16 Bradford Literature Festival: workshops linked to literary themes
2016 Bradford Council: Bradford Festival workshops
2016 Tour de Yorkshire, Middlesburgh Council / Stellar Projects: Parade / big build costume commissions, workshops
2016 Stellar Projects, Stockton-on-Tees: Illustration commission
2015 Q20 Theatre: Costume Masterclass workshop
2015 Stockton-on-Tees Council: Choir Tree, bespoke event decorations, structure dressing
2015 Artworks, Bradford: Theatre + storytelling project with community performance
2015 INTU Lakeside Shopping Centre, Essex: Bespoke celebratory structure and workshops
2015 Holmewood Library: Alice in Wonderland themed project
2015 Shipley Street Arts Festival: Large structure build and workshop programme
2015 South Square Centre: In the Making - Exhibition + mentoring scheme / workshop
2014 Bradford Council, Reflections, Community event, structures and workshops
2014 - 2015 York Council, Skyride, York: Event Workshops
2005-14 Bradford Lord Mayors Parade Co- Creative Director. Q20 Theatre / Bradford Council, designer / maker floats & big build costume construction, Bradford
2014 Tour de France Le Tour Yorkshire, Cycle dressing event, York Hub
2014 Halifax Foyer Interior Design Project with young residents
2013 Make Do and Mend Intergenerational project, Griffin Theatre, Sheffield, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, York
2012 IKEA 25th UK Anniversary Lead Artist residency, Edinburgh
2012 Rotherham Urban Pianos Lead Artist, Rotherham
2011 Transporter Bridge Centenary celebration Emergency Exit Arts / Middlesbrough Council, Carnival artist
2011 Carers Resource Poetry + Visual Arts in Health, Shipley
2011 Mural Central Estate, Batley
2011 East Moor Community Garden Mosaic Paving, DIVA, Wakefield
2011 Story Chair & Story Room design /build Bradford Central Library
2010 Stockton Sparkles Illustration + design for Stockton on Tees Council event
2010 Pupil referral Unit Painting project, working with 6 classes, Idle
2009 Reindeer Parade Structures + costumes, Middlesbrough
2009 Xmas Carnival Parade Structures + costumes, Stockton-on-Tees
2005 Manningham Community Garden exterior wall artwork, Bradford
2005 Paper Garden Interactive Garden Installation, Yorkshire Craft Centre, Bradford
2005 Light Theatres Dr Barnardo's Young Carers, Bradford
2004 Viewpoint Fenlands Art linked to poetry, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
2003 Community Cohesion mural Bradford Youth Parliament
2003 Speakout Homeless Project, Magazine design, Bradford
Awards / Prizes
2011 Oppenheim John Downs Memorial Trust Award
2008 Flesh, Bradford Gallery, Yorkshire Craft Centre (prize winner)
2007 Individual Artist Award Arts Council England (poison)
2006 Individual Artist Award Arts Council England (a-b Slovenia)
2003 Arena Open Arena gallery, Liverpool (prize winner)
2001 Yorkshire Open (Public vote - Prize winner)
Teaching
1999 to 2010 - Bradford College - Art & Design subjects
Visiting Lecturer to BA courses at: Lincoln University
Dewsbury College of Art
Todmorden College
Visiting Speaker to Embroiderers Guild groups
Reviews / Articles / Interviews
2014 Through Our Hands (textile magazine 3 Nov issue)
http://www.throughourhands.co.uk/2014/11/05/through-our-hands-issue-3-november-2014/
2014 Textile Art Around the World, Ellen Bakker, ISBN 9789081847674
2013 Yew Magazine, Literary & Arts Journal, April 2013 Edition Featured Artist
2011 Spittoon, a Literary Journal of Contemporary Forms, edited by Kristin Abraham cover art and featured art inside
2009 Colouring Outside the Lines, issue 5, interview by Melanie Maddison
2008 December Art Press. Issue 352 Broderie et art contemporain. Frédérique Joseph-Lowery
2008 December, Saatchi online critics choice, review by Ana Finel Honigman
2008 April/May FiberArts Pricked: Extreme Embroidery article
2007 October Pricked: Extreme Embroidery – David Revere McFadden (Museum of Arts & Design Publication)
2007 November myartspace - interview by Brian Sherwin http://www.myartspace.com/blog/2007/11/art-space-talk-morwenna-catt.html
2007 November New York Times - Pricked: Extreme Embroidery review
2007 April Glas Javnosti,Belgrade newspaper - interview /article by Srdjan Djile Marcovic – English translation on my website
2007 March Flying Dunces Italian online art magazine – interview http://www.koshka.it/pdf/FDM2-07.pdf
2002 The Tatler – featured in Liverpool Biennial article
1999 Flux Magazine - centre pages, featured artwork
