Substratum

1st Prize Winner – Bradford Textiles Competition 2019–2020
Clothworkers’ Company Award – Material Construction for Fashion/Accessories or Interior Products Produced by Non-Conventional Processes and/or Materials or by New Technologies

Substratum is a sculptural textile work that honours the quiet innovation of marine biologists striving to protect our oceans. Inspired by the construction of artificial reefs, this piece explores the intersection of craft, science, and environmental urgency.

At its core lies a series of intricate hand-embroidered coral forms, each meticulously stitched to evoke the organic complexity of reef ecosystems. These delicate embroideries are embedded into raw concrete layers, then encased in clear epoxy resin — a stark and compelling juxtaposition of fragility and industrial strength. The layered construction mirrors how artificial reefs are built from diverse substrates to support marine regeneration. The embroidery symbolises life and hope, emerging from man-made foundations — a tribute to both nature’s resilience and human intervention.

Other works in the Substratum collection include a striking resin-encased sphere, formed from a base of Resi-Crete with coral reef embroidery inset into the surface. Central to this piece is a playful experiment: a felt sphere embellished with beads and sequins, dropped into the resin just before pouring. Unexpectedly, the felt sphere rose through the medium, surfacing as the resin cured and transforming the work into a bold, sculptural moment — a tactile expression of chance, buoyancy, and creative intuition.

Through its bold use of non-traditional materials and construction methods, Substratum challenges our perception of textiles as soft or ephemeral. It instead becomes architectural — a tactile monument to regeneration beneath the surface, and a celebration of experimentation as a creative force.