SHELLY GOLDSMITH
Biography
Shelly Goldsmith creates narrative-based pieces that explores cloth’s ability to absorb memories and reflect experiences. Goldsmith's work is marked by meticulous craftsmanship and experimentation, re-appropriating and manipulating discarded synthetic clothing. Utilising complex and innovative printing methods she prints both on and with garments, imprinting the ghostly remnants of voluminous dresses in rich hues of deep crimson and inky blue. Through her distinctive vision she transforms textiles into potent vehicles of storytelling, fabricating scenes saturated with the tidal seascapes of her present or locations and tokens of her past.
Goldsmith is recognised internationally, exhibiting in galleries and museums across the UK, Europe, Japan and U.S.A. Her work is held in a number of esteemed public collections including the V&A Museum. She is recipient of the prestigious Jerwood Prize and International Vlieseline Fine Art Textile Prize. Shelly is Emeritus Reader in Textiles from the University for the Creative Arts and a Royal College of Art alumnus.
Her contributions to academia and commitment to innovation in contemporary textiles are widely acknowledged, her work is extensively featured/cited in books and journals and she regularly collaborates with professionals outside the art world, infusing her work with fresh perspectives and insights.
By merging traditional hand-methods with contemporary textile technology her work redefines the boundaries of textile art, placing her practice at the intersection of fine art and craft. Her artworks present a visual dialogue exploring the fabric of human experiences, harnessing textiles as a rich landscape for expression and inviting viewers to reflect on the delicate interplay between cloth and psyche.
