Keira Graham has been creating distinctive artworks with fabric for more than 30 years, obtaining a BA (Honours) specialising in embroidery at Nottingham Trent University. Keira began manipulating and distressing fabric, finding beauty in the frayed edges usually hidden away. Following her graduation, she continued to develop her unique style of working with fabric with frayed edges becoming the focus of her artwork.  She found that tearing ‘shot’ fabrics, produced using different colours of thread for the warp and weft, resulted in the fabric appearing iridescent as it catches the light, exposing contrasting threads which could then be used as accents in her artwork.

 

Having spent her childhood on the east coast of Northern Ireland and, in later years, the south and southwest coast of England, Keira has constantly been inspired by the beauty and rich colours and textures of her surrounding, now the focus of Keira’s pieces, each depicting different locations along the British coastline and landscape. 

Working from sketches and photographs taken, Keira selects her palette of silks from the wealth of fabric she has accumulated and with skilful placement creates the shimmering effects of sunlight on water and rolling hills with fields of grasses catching the light to remarkable effect. Viewers often find themselves mesmerised by the tactile quality of her pieces, compelled to explore the layers and textures that bring each scene to life. They are surprised that what appears to be a painting, is in fact an artwork created entirely in textiles.

 

Keira has exhibited her work in galleries across the south of England. Her artworks are framed using museum grade UV protective, Anti-reflective art glass.