I am standing in Cas Holmes’ studio surrounded by pieces of fabric as part of an ongoing personal project exploring Kent creative businesses. It’s a quiet and serene working environment. Fabric lies on the desk, under the counter, on the walls and hangs from the ceiling. Some plain white, some detailed and intricate. Some lie or hang alone but most of it is attached to other pieces of fabric. Most of it is recycled from another use. People from all over the world send in their unused pieces to be given new life in a new form. There are a myriad of brilliant examples of how you can make something from apparently nothing. To me, it feels like an underground movement where unwanted cloth moves from place to place, under the radar, to find new meaning.
Nothing is random however, there is a strategic sophistication to the way these various elements come together, often with a larger overarching theme. Common in Cas’ work is the juxtaposition of urban and nature, with a focus on exploring how these relationships intertwine.
Cas has had her work exhibited in some rather prestigious collections including the Arts Council England and the Museum of Art and Design New York. She will be exhibiting as a guest artist at the Quilt Star Gallery in Freiberg, Germany from July and at the 20th anniversary European Patchwork Meeting in Alsace in September and is currently working on a project connected to World War I and gardening with the Garden Museum, Southbank. Cas also has a piece in the Embroiderers Guild collection.
Cas is also a published author having written “The Found Object in Textile Art” and co-authored “Connected Cloth”. The third book, “Stitch Stories” is on it’s way.
More information about Cas and her latest projects is available at casholmestextiles.co.uk
You can also find Cas’ published work on Amazon here.