nikkita morgan
As an Irish political textile artist, my studio work encompasses a diverse range of art, design, and craft approaches. I predominantly use needlework to capture intricate stories: emblematically unravelling and re-working aspects of socio-political, cultural, and environmental issues. Alongside my practice, I devise and deliver textile-based workshops and projects within a range of educational and community settings.
Education
Masters Degree in Textile Design | Norwich University of the Arts | Norwich | 2013-14
BA (Hons) Degree in Textile, Art, Design & Craft | University of Wales: Trinity Saint David: Coleg Sir Gar | Carmarthen | 2010-13
Foundation diploma in Art & Design | Southern Regional College | Newry | 2009-10
Grants/Awards
Artwork Materials Grant | Out of Sight Out of Mind Exhibition | 2024 | Also attained in 2022 & 2023
Practice Support Fund Edinburgh | Creative Edinburgh/EPAD | 2021
Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers | Creative Scotland | 2021
a-n Artist Bursary recipient | Time Space Money | The Artists Information Company | 2020
VACMA | Edinburgh Craft Makers Award | Edinburgh City Council & Creative Scotland | 2020
Highly Commended for series of works | Annual Awards for Art About Big Global Issues or Concerns | Redline Artworks | 2020 | Also attained in 2017, 2018 & 2019
Support for the individual artist programme | Arts Council of NI | 2019
Norfolk Arts Project Fund | Norfolk County Council | 2019
a-n Artist Bursary recipient | supporting self-determined professional development grant | The Artists Information Company | 2019
Artist of the month | Axisweb | 2018
Travel Award | Arts Council of NI | 2017
NI Young Artist of the Year Runner-up | Mid And East Antrim Council | 2016
Norfolk Arts Project Fund – Norfolk County Council | Ideastap Wrap-Up Fund Brief | Split Infinitive Trust | 2015
The Eaton Fund | 2014
Arts and Humanities Research Council Award (AHRC) | 2013
Shortlisted for the Textile Study Group Graduate of the Year Award | New Designers | London | 2013
Textile Student of the Year Award | University of Wales Trinity Saint David: Coleg Sir Gar | 2013
Residencies
International Artists in Residence Programme: Artsland, Fermanagh & Omagh District Council | December 2018, May & September 2019
Guest Studio Residency Programme: The Art Cube Artists’ Studio’s, Jerusalem | Feb 2017
Artist-in-Residence: George Watson College, Edinburgh | Aug 2016 - Aug 2017
Gallery Artist-in-Residence: St.Margaret’s House Gallery 1, Edinburgh | Aug 2016
Textile Artist-in-Residence: Edinburgh College of Art: Edinburgh | Sep 2015 - Aug 2016
Commissions
Production of a community, collaborative banner for Perth museum | “Damn Rebel Bitches” | Perth and Kinross Council, together with Culture Perth and Kinross | 2022-24
Production of a community, collaborative textile artwork for Inverkeithing's Town House | “Inverkeithing stitching in Time” | Fife Historic Buildings Trust on behalf of Fife Council | 2021-22
Community arts commission | “Voices for Equity” | Shetland Islands Council on behalf of the Shetland Partnership | 2019-20
Private commission | Embroidered learning aid “Sampler” | Art Department, George Watsons College | Edinburgh | 2017
Campaign banner, designed & constructed a campaign banner for the Educational Institute of Scotland | commissioned by the Joint Union Liaison Committee at Edinburgh University | 2016
Environmental collaborative commission, worked with local artists and scientists from the University of East Anglia to design & construct a 3D info graphic sculpture that represented the storm surge damage surrounding the Norfolk coast | University of East Anglia | 2015
Mural Art | Spur Restaurant's | Newry & Belfast | 2008-10
Selected Exhibitions
Big Art Show 2024 | The Art Department | Paisley | 2024, Also in 2023
Out of Sight Out of Mind | Summerhall | Edinburgh | 2024, Also in 2022 & 2023
The Secret Salon #2 ‘Reconstruct’ | Create Destroy Studios | London | 2023
Big Art Show 2023 | The Art Department | Paisley | 2023
Out of Sight Out of Mind | Summerhall | Edinburgh | 2023 & 2022
Contemporary Textiles Exhibition | Fronteer Gallery | Sheffield | 2022
Winter Open Exhibition 2021 | The Art Cohort | Bath | 2021
Divergent | Anteros Gallery | Norwich (Supported by Norfolk Arts Project Fund) | 2019
Open Studio Exhibition | Aughakillymaude Mummers Centre | Derrylin, Co. Fermanagh | 2019
Anna Cheyne Biennial Award 2019 Exhibition | Island Arts Centre | Lisburn | 2019
Between Lands | Whitespace Gallery | Edinburgh | 2019
1 FT SQ Art Exhibition | Strule Arts Centre & Omagh & Blaney Yoga Centre | Fermanagh | 2019
Brexit Respond… (Interactive Exhibition) | Roots Gallery | Edinburgh | Solo | 2018
Éire Intransition | St. Margaret's House Gallery 2 | Edinburgh [Gallery In-Kind Support] | Solo | 2017
Guest Studio Residency Exhibition & Artist Talk | Art Cube Artist's Studio's | Jerusalem | Solo | 2017
Materials, Meaning & Messages Exhibition & Artist Talk | R-Space Gallery | Lisburn | 2016
The SSA 119th annual exhibition | The Royal Scottish Academy | Edinburgh | 2016
NSK Folk Art Rising 1916-2016 | Burren College of Art | Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare | 2016
A-I-R 15/16 Exhibition | Tent Gallery & St. Margaret's House Gallery 1 | Edinburgh | 2016
NI Young Artist of the Year Finalists Exhibition | The Braid Arts Centre | Ballymena | 2016
One Year On | Stew Gallery | Norwich (Supported by Norfolk Arts Project Fund) | 2015
Summer Salon | Islington Art Factory | London | 2015
Rising Stars | New Ashgate Gallery | Farnham | 2015
Place, Space & Negotiated Territories | Norwich University of the Arts | Norwich | 2014
New Designers | Islington | London | 2013
Professional Experience (Teaching\Projects\Workshops)
Lead Textile Artist | Co-designed and facilitated a craft-based programme of workshops with the unpaid women’s work squad | Paisley | OneRen | Renfrewshire Council | Sep 2022 - Mar 2024
Research Assistant | Touching Stitches Project | Working with the Needlework Development Scheme (NDS) heritage collection as part of an outreach community resource | University of Edinburgh | Jun 2017 – Dec 2022
Artist Workshop | Children's bunting-making summer project | Ballast Bank, Inverkeithing | 2022
Art Tutor | Animation week | 8-12 year olds | The Art Club, Edinburgh | July 2022
Visiting Lecturer | Creative Journey Presentation | Textiles Department | Edinburgh College of Art | Jan 2022
Co-coordinated, organised & curated group exhibitions in Edinburgh & Norwich [ Between Lands | Divergent | A-I-R 15/16 | One Year On ] 2015 – 2020
Visiting Lecturer | Embroidery Elective | Political and sociality issues through stitch workshops | Edinburgh College of Art | Feb – Mar 2020
Guest Lecturer Tour | Artist Talks & Embroidery Workshops to school and college students, helping to promote higher education within the Creative Arts | Organisation: Network for East Anglian Collaborative Outreach (NEACO) | Norfolk | January 2018 – 2020
Workshop Assistant | 100 Years Women’s Vote | Assisted with embroidered-led banner making workshops with female prisoners at SPS Cornton Vale and Edinburgh University female student & staff members | University of Edinburgh | February – June 2018
Workshop Teacher | Textile & embroidery workshops for children aged 7-12 via Art+798’s online software | Art+798 International Art Education Center | China | 2015 – 2017
Textile Art Community Project | Bethlehem | Taught groups of children and women a range of hand embroidery techniques, including how to combine stitches to create their own embroidered narrative on fabric | Project supported by The Arts Council NI Travel Award Scheme | 2017
Artist workshop and volunteer working with vulnerable adults | The Arts Recovery Program | Norfolk | 2015
Other Professional Training\Experience\Projects
Collaborative textile project | Contributed an embroidered patch to form a larger St. Brigid’s quilt/cloak, exhibited at the EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, Dublin Feb 2023 | Irish Department of Foreign Affairs | Nov 2022
Undertook a 3 day Metal Thread Work ‘Queen’s Silk embroidery course | Royal School of Needlework | Glasgow | June 2019
Waveney & Blyth Arts exhibition planning & management course | Part of the symposium team; helped curate and organise the art sculpture trail | Bungay | 2015
Dialogues 2014 | Space, Place and Negotiated Territories | Part of the selection panel who co-ordinated, curated and organised the exhibition & conference | Norwich University of the Arts | 2014
Selected Publications
Case Study | Nikkita Morgan | Inverkeithing Stitching In Time | Stitching Together | https://stitchingtogether.net/2022/03/22/case-study-nikkita-morgan-inverkeithing-stitching-in-time/ | 2022
Artist Interview | Art Reveal Magazine no.58 | page 44-49 | https://issuu.com/artrevealmagazine/docs/58 | April 2021
Artist Feature | Art & Politics | http://www.redlineartworks.org/section652294_361328.html | 2018
Professional Memberships
The Society for Embroidered Work [S.E.W]
