Morwenna Catt

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