Fiona Hutchison working at her studio in Edinburgh | Photography © Lydia Smith
Fiona Hutchison
Tapestry Artist
Fiona Hutchison’s work reclaims discarded materials, turning them into something meaningful and beautiful, much like the women in the past who transformed overlooked resources into vital tools. Her tapestry and sculptural pieces not only reflect her connection to the sea but also challenge how we view waste, seeing potential in what is often forgotten.
Turning the Tide is an exploration of materials and techniques inspired by her love of the sea. This striking tapestry installation features strips of woven cotton, linen and entangled, repurposed plastic as a reflection on our continuing consumption of materials and resources. By combining discarded and undervalued materials using traditional tapestry weaving techniques, Hutchison hopes to encourage viewers to reconsider both the value and the beauty of materials we use and discard.
Further deepening Hutchison’s connection with the sea, her small sculptural forms in 5 Sea Knots demonstrate an essential seafarer’s skill to tie, to bind, to secure, and to join together. These knots symbolise an unbreakable pledge.
Biography
Born in Edinburgh and graduating from the Edinburgh College of Art 1984, Fiona Hutchison is an artist and teacher working in tapestry and mixed media whose work is based on a love of the sea. Inspired by all things maritime, her own experiences of the sea are enhanced by studying poetry and literature. Hutchison works primarily in tapestry but also in paper and recycled plastics, exploring a wide variety of media in two and three dimensions.
Receiving awards from Hope Scott Trust, Dawia & Sasakawa Foundations, Theo Moorman, Creative Scotland and Craft Council, she has worked with tapestry artists in Lithaunia, Japan and South Korea, participated in artist residencies in Norway and Scotland, and taught across the UK and USA. Hutchison is a professional member of the Society of Scottish Artists, and a founding member of both the European Tapestry Forum and STAR* group (Scottish Tapestry Artists Regrouped). Hutchison promotes Scottish tapestry though exhibition, symposiums and teaching.
Recent exhibitions include Then and Now: 100 Years of Visual Arts Scotland, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh (2024); The 197th RSA Annual Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh (2023); Tapestry: Changing Concepts, City Art Centre, Edinburgh. (2021); The Fourth Cordis Prize for Tapestry, Inverleith House, Edinburgh, (2021); Think Plastic: Materials and Making, Royal Botanical Gardens (2021); Artapestry5, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, France, Latvia (2021); Premier International Tapestry Exhibition, Canadian Tapestry & Texture Centre, Oakville, Ontario (2019); Collect, Saatchi Gallery, London (2018). Hutchison’s work can be found in public and private collections in the UK, Japan, Norway and Lithuania.