2 minute read
Take the Floor
Drawings for floors
Helen Yardley celebrates four decades of design studio practice with a solo exhibition at Ruthin Craft Centre.
New designs from Helen Yardley for 2022
Designer Helen Yardley with her work
Rimini Gold – From Helen Yardley’s Archive Collection, on show at Drawings for Floors
In a solo exhibition - ‘Drawings for Floors’ - British designer Helen Yardley will bring her signature style of colourful and
bold abstract rugs and wall hangings, to all three galleries at the Ruthin Craft Centre in Denbighshire from the 1st October 2022 to the 8th January 2023.
Focusing on Helen’s experience and knowledge; as a designer, crafts person and master of her field, the exhibition celebrates
Helen’s distinctive and innovative style - combining both classic archive pieces alongside new, unseen designs for 2022 in a vivid mix that marks the start of a celebration of
four decades of her design practice. Helen established her studio in London in 1983, after having studied textile design at
the Royal College of Art.
‘Drawings for Floors’ will cross over all three galleries at Ruthin Craft Centre, with a vibrant mixture of twenty full sized hand tufted and hand knotted rugs, and over half a dozen acoustic felts, runners and flat weaves installed into the
space. These will be exhibited as an interactive display with visitors encouraged to look around, through and below the detailed works.
The inner workings perspective of Helen’s practice, space and thoughts will also be highlighted in one gallery, where a film in conversation with Helen and showing excerpts of
studio life, will be shown next to drawings, sketch book ideas, examples of past commissions, yarn tufts and ephemera. The gallery will complement the final finished textiles on view,
allowing the visitor to experience the full creative process. Of her technique, Helen says: “I approach making rugs as if they were large drawings for the floor; a form of practical
artwork. Starting with small gouache paintings, the shapes and symbols are re-occurring motifs which carry underlying resonance and meaning. Many forms of visual and emotional experience filter into these drawings, so although the work
may be seen as abstract, it is far from it. In translating these paintings into rugs the presence of the human hand is crucial and retaining the dynamic energy epitomises, for me, the essence of the hand made.
“Bespoke commissions are made in our London Bridge studio, but I work with experts both in the UK, and Nepal, to take my prototypes to the next stage. All our hand-tufted rugs are made in Yorkshire, while the hand-knotted rugs are made by
skilled artisans in Nepal.”
The chance to show at Ruthin Craft Centre, marking such an auspicious occasion, is of special significance to Helen
because of family ties to the area. Helen’s mother was born and raised in Ruthin. Helen was christened in St Peter’s church and spent many happy summer holidays in Ruthin.
A broad selection of items will be on sale from the exhibition. Prices start from £300 upwards; bespoke commissions are
available for all items. n
Ruthin Craft Centre, Denbighshire, LL15 1BB 1st October 2022 – 8th January 2023 Free admission: Tuesday – Sunday, 10am - 5.30pm
