OCA Textiles Alumna Ailish Henderson tells us about the launch of her new book following her creative learning journey with OCA.
Moment’s matter, that has been the constant move maker, the bullet line to my life and practice. I was always a sensitive child, a fixer. In my early years, I spent many a nature trod walk on the ground with the daisies and daffs, every fallen flower head would be within my notice. How could I glue them all on? I questioned.
As a growing adult, I became in need to fixing myself – a little more serious a matter than a floral decapitation. That was when I noticed the relation to working with my hands in a creative mannerism and self-soothing emotionally and mentally. This positive outcome from my art, drove me on and I began my life within the arts, immersing myself in writing, teaching, and creating my own work. I was a little later than the average degree student, but I joined the OCA to study for my BA in Textiles. It was an enlightening few years which saw me working in so much media – from the usual cloth and thread, to the more unusual – Jesmonite (a type of concrete).
As I began to finish my degree, I was lucky in a way, as I already knew what I wanted to do – I was happy to carry on as an artist, happy to teach and do all the things I had been doing prior and alongside my degree. Yet the degree helped in so many ways. It strengthened my knowledge, made me question so much and made my goals seem clearer.
What have I done since?
I have had exhibitions, carried on teaching, editing, and writing in the arts and a year or so ago was given a dream…to write my own book. This October will see the release of my title, along with an accompanying exhibition at The Batsford Gallery in London.
Narrative Textiles: Tell your story in mixed media and stitch by Ailish Henderson is published by Batsford, October 2024. Available to pre-order now from booksellers including Amazon here.
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