Works in Silk: Robert Ely

Robert Ely studied hand weaving at West Surrey College of Art and Design before establishing a workshop in 1996 to design and weave jacquard silk ribbons. Alongside ‘Papilionaceous’ ribbons for costume, millinery and menswear, Robert designs and weaves wall pieces assembled from multiple woven ribbons, inspired by Devon land and seascapes.

New for this exhibition are photographic prints, shown here for the first time together with his woven pieces. The prints are on cotton rag paper in editions of twenty four. The camera has always been a working tool for Robert, a means to gather information which feeds into his woven work, viewing the photographic image as an end in itself is a new direction.