Visually decoding my own poetry, I construct multi-layered compositions imbued with a dream-like, ethereal quality. My imagined landscapes of sketch-like embroidery explore fleeting emotions, textures of memory, and the delicate beauty in repair. Many pieces hold an unfinished appeal, in relationship to their collaged backgrounds and frayed edges. I enjoy exploring how the sensory experiences and emotions of my writing can be translated into abstract forms of mark-making, resulting in a contemporary energy of stitch and vivid sense of spontaneity.

Drawn to use of translucent materials, I explore how my pieces interact with natural light, curated by the ever-changing environment. Through fusing salvaged materials, I investigate how materials found, broken, or repaired can hold more narrative value than new. Practicing reduction as an active pursuit, both in material usage and reflection, is central.

Growing up in Somerset, I was surrounded by a natural landscape that shaped my artistic perspective. Both my imagery and writing draw heavily on personal experience. My work speaks passionately about my engagement with the land, conveying the transience of nature, memory, and attachment to place.

My work draws upon a personal transition between two landscapes: the rural environment of Cheddar in Somerset, where I grew up, and the dynamic urban environment of London, my new home. This shift from countryside stillness to metropolitan intensity prompted an exploration of emotional and environmental contrasts. Within London’s rapid movement, Hyde Park became my sanctuary, offering a meditative space where I could observe the subtle interplay between nature and human interaction. My sketches and visual studies, inspired by long walks through the park, evolved into abstracted compositions. I incorporated blind, continuous line drawing techniques to trace walking routes and capture fleeting moments, echoing the Daoist reverence for spontaneity and flow.

The collection of works within this project, ‘Imagined Landscapes’, explore the ephemerality of memory and the deep emotional bonds we form with the places we inhabit. Engaging with the psychogeography of space, the works reflect the intimate relationship between humans and the land, exploring how our attachments to different landscapes shape our sense of self. The delicate, multi-layered compositions are heavily inspired by traditional Chinese design principles, particularly the harmony between nature and human expression and the reverence for simplicity. Inspired by my own writing, they visually decode narratives constructed by places known, lived in, or longed for, exploring the beauty in temporality and repair. Just as ancient Chinese scholars sought enlightenment through nature, I see this work as an invitation to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the environment amid the complexities of modern life.

Alice Oswald’s poetic engagement with nature influenced my approach to visual storytelling. Her philosophy of embracing the interruptions and rhythmic chaos of the natural world informed my use of layering and spontaneous mark-making. Through this process, I discovered a profound connection with traditional Chinese ink painting (shui-mo hua). My pieces mirror the expressive energy of calligraphic brushwork, where gestural strokes convey not only form but also emotion. The interplay of horizontal and vertical elements within my compositions reflects Taoist notions of harmony, balancing stability and fluidity, earth and sky. I explored the Daoist principle of ziran (自然), natural spontaneity, and how my gestural, narrative compositions of contemporary stitch work could be linked. Studying the branches and snow-covered landscapes of traditional Chinese paintings, with their irregular and flowing shapes avoiding rigidity, I saw the beauty in embracing a naturalistic approach and the asymmetry and imperfection revered in Chinese art.

Lucy is a London-based textile artist and designer, originally from Somerset. She studied at the Royal College of Art where she completed a Master's in Textiles in 2024, and is currently completing a Diploma in Contemporary Embroidery at Hand & Lock. Her work reflects her enduring interest in the curiosities of the natural world, people-watching and the materiality of language, as well as a fervent obsession with colour. Her textiles explore the beauty in fragility, temporality, and vulnerable elements of life and nature, often inspired by her own writing.