Lisa Davies
Lisa is an illustrator and textile artist living in Bristol, UK. Using fantasy as a mechanism, her peculiar characters explore the landscape of what it is to be human, examining contemporary themes of morality and cultural values, whilst maintaining humour and silliness throughout.
Her unique contemporary folk style, combining hand embroidery techniques with digital technologies has led to a diverse range of artworks. These include an intricate handmade book that was exhibited at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, an embroidered tapestry with glittering LED sequins for the Brontë 200 programme and even a giant witch hat-shaped tent, featured in previous exhibitions, which allowed viewers to step into her world.
Lisa is a member of The Society of Embroidered Work (S.E.W).
Works
For Love
‘For Love’ was shortlisted for the ReDesigning the Medieval Book competition, in which artists and makers were invited to respond to a selection of medieval books from the collection at the Bodleian Library in Oxford.
The book explores the idea of subjective truth and the roles of women in medieval society, inspired by the story of the Wife of Bath by Chaucer.
It was awarded the Agassi Book Arts Prize 2018 by the Centre for Fine Print Research.
Making Amends
‘Making Amends’ asks the viewer to consider the environment we live in, and our actions needed to move towards a more eco-friendly future.
The panel travels through a landscape, first showing a green valley, untouched by humans. The image moves on to show you how humans have helped themselves, altering the landscape to suit their own needs. Farmland transforms into a dystopian cityscape; trees, plants and animals have disappeared – instead there is an iron sculpture in memory of what is now extinct. But all is not lost, the narrative ends with regrowth, a new beginning. The viewer can see the heavily stitched roads being literally unpicked, as a metaphor to symbolise us trying to unpick what we have done, for a more planet-friendly future.
Take Courage
Commissioned by South Square Centre as part of the Anne Brontë bicentenary programme in 2020, marking her 200th birthday and celebrating her life and work as an author.
The unforgiving truth in her writing, reflects the landscape in which she lived her whole life. The Yorkshire moors are harsh, the weather is unpredictable. But within this brutal landscape of coarse matted grass, bogs and weeds, nestles great beauty, bursting with colour and texture that comes from the flora that grows there. Lush purple heathers, spikey acid yellow asphodels, fields of calming bluebells. These are the ‘jewels’ of truth, the beauty that has come from the bleakness that Anne had faced in her life.
The Witch's Hat
Step inside the witch’s hat, a perfect quiet space for reading.
Harvest
Mangey Cat
Reflection
Houses Behind Hills
Forest Imp
The forest imp is curious, suddenly all the humans are venturing into the forests again, where before they preferred exploring the clinical landscape of shopping precincts. You might see its glowing eyes, watching you as take your daily walk.
Responding to the coronavirus pandemic and made during lockdown, this mask was made for #FaceValue 2020 competition hosted by Pictofolio.