Archana Pathak
Artist
About
My practice is of British and Indian heritage and I specialise in stitch and fine art textiles. My studio practice involves collecting and working with found memory artefacts such as old photographs, postcards, letters, diaries and maps. Often these artefacts are old maps that bring forth the evolving nature of boundaries – both physical as well as psychological. Through these, I have been exploring the 'transient nature of identity' ~ now slowly my explorations are shifting to being in awareness of 'Beauty in transience'.
I have been literally and metaphorically following a thread in my journey. The collected artefacts are the starting point and the most important material which eventually takes the shape of the thread that I use. I prints these artefacts on a fabric and cuts very fine Laces out of these to make my threads to recreate a visual art piece by very slow, repetitive, almost meditative hand-sewing.
Recent awards - , 2022 The Needle maker awardee at Cockpit arts, London. 2021 Finalist "Brookfield Properties Crafts Council Collection Award, represented by Ruup & Form Gallery. Finalist Transformation 10: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, the Elizabeth R.Raphael Founder’s Prize, 2019 USA.
Represented by Ruup & Form, London gallery at Collect art fair 2021-24 & London Art Fair 2023-24
''An artist is a poet in his or her own medium
And when an artist produces a good piece,
that work has mystery, an un said quality, it
is alive'' - Toshiko Takaezu
“Only ephemeral is of lasting value” ~ Eugene Lonesco
Education
2014 - MA in Sustainable Textile design from Chelsea College of Arts and Design, London
2003 - Masters (PGDP) in Apparel and Textile Design from NID (Nationl Institute of Design, India)
Exhibitions
2024 Cockpit Arts Open Studios, Bloomsberry, London 21-24 November
2024 Textile Artist Org, Stitch club workshop : 23rd September- 4th October
2024 Cockpit Arts Open Studios, Bloomsberry, London 23-25th June
2024 Collect Art Fair, Represented by Ruup & Form, Somerset House, London UK (1-3rd March)
2024 London Art Fair , Represented by Ruup & Form, Business Design centre, London (18-22nd January)
2023 Cockpit Arts Open Studios: 24-26 November
2023 Cockpit Arts Open Studios, Bloomsberry London 23-25th June
2023 London Craft Week, Lightning Talks, Buckle Street Studios (by Locke), 11th May 2023
2023 Collect Art Fair, Represented by Ruup & Form, Somerset House, London, 3-5 March ( PV dates 1-2 March,)
2023 London Art Fair , Represented by Ruup & Form, Business Design centre, London (18-22nd January)
2022 The Other Art Fair London, King's Cross (30 June - 3 July)
2022 Solo show at The Textile Galleries, The Knitting & Stitching Show, Alexandra Palace (6-9 October 2022)
2022 Solo show at The Textile Galleries, The Knitting & Stitching Show, Harrogate (17-20 November 2022)
2022 Collect Art Fair, Represented by Ruup & Form, Somerset House, London, UK ( February)
2021 Artefact Craft Fair, Represented by Ruup & Form, London, UK (22nd - 29th June)
2021 Collect Art Fair, Represented by Ruup & Form, London, UK (26 Feb- 2 March)
2020 Rising Stars Exhibition, New Ashgate Gallery, Surrey, UK (March 7th-13th June 2020)
2019 Handmade in Britain, Oxford ( June 27-30th)
2019 Ashmolean Museum, Identity exhibition, Handmade in Britain, Oxford ( June 14-16th)
2019 Cluster Art & Craft Fair, London ( May 2-5th)
2019 Group Exhibition at Seventeen Gallery, London (18-20th Jan)
2018 - Transformation 10: Contemporary Works in Found Materials , United States,
Pittsburgh (September 14, 2018-March 9, 2019)
2018 - Kingsgate Workshops Open Studios, Textile Hub London ( June 23 - 24th)
2018 - Select Trail, Gallery 2, Museum in the Park, Stratford Park, Stroud, UK (May 5 - 6th)
2017 - Selvedge Fair, London (2nd December)
2017- Marshwood Arts, Bridport Arts Centre from Saturday 4th November to 2nd December 2017)
2017- Kingsgate Workshops Open Studios, Textile Hub London (24-25th June)
2017 - The Contemporary Craft Festival , Devon (9-11th June)
2016 - Kingsgate Workshops Open Studios, Textile Hub London (1-4th December)
2016 - Kingsgate Workshops Open Studios, Textile Hub London (25-26th June)
2015 - Kingsgate Workshops Open Studios, Textile Hub London (18-19th July)
2014 - Chelsea College Postgraduate Summer Show 2014 (5th to 12th September)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/chelsea-ual/15304611343
Awards
2022 The Needlemakers' Award at Cockpit Arts
Shortlisted for the 2021 "Brookfield Properties Crafts Council Collection Award"
Finalist in Transformation 10: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, the Elizabeth
R. Raphael Founder’s Prize (September 14, 2018-March 9, 2019), US.
Selected as finalist for the Applied Arts category within the Marshwood Arts Awards
Best New Business- Contemporary Craft Festival Jury Award 2017, UK.
Interviews/Features
2022 Work featured in Saatchi Art Catalogue in October-22
https://www.saatchiart.com/catalog/2022/5#catalog_content
2022 Feature in Colour Hive Magazine
2020 Work to feature in the book Textile Travels authored by Anne Kelly
2019 Feature in a Dutch Textile Art magazine (https://www.textielplus.nl/artikelen/borduren-thema-txp- textiel-plus-250/)
2018 Work featured in Embroidery Magazine; May-June 2019
2017 Artist feature and interview by Helen Adams, Textile Curator
http://www.textilecurator.com/home-default/home-2-2/archana-pathak/
2017 Features as Artist of the Week and interviewed by Craft Council, UK
http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/articles/crafts-council-maker-of-the-week-archana-pathak/
Member
Craft Council Directory Member