About

Katharine Swailes artist biography

Katharine Swailes – Artist Biography

I’m Katharine Swailes, originally from Cumbria and now living and working in West Sussex at the Atelier Weftfaced studios. I create handwoven, wall-based abstract tapestries using a simple but carefully chosen palette of techniques and materials. My pieces are made from traditional fibres like wool, linen, cotton, and gilt—materials I love for their natural textures and history.

My inspiration comes from the rich history of weaving, especially ancient traditions and the beautiful textiles of the pre-Columbian Americas. I trained at West Dean College from 1998 to 2000, studying tapestry weaving at a postgraduate level, and later joined the West Dean Tapestry Studio. There, I had the wonderful opportunity to work as a Master Weaver and Designer on major commissions, including the Stirling Castle Tapestries (2001–2013), and contemporary artist commissions till 2018. Alongside that, I’ve continued to develop my own work and exhibit in galleries.

My tapestries are part of collections across the UK and beyond, and I’m honoured to have been recognised with awards like the Theo Moorman Award (2016) and shortlisted for the Cordis Prize (2016, 2019) and the Kate Derum Award (2019).

Selected Exhibitions

  • The Language of Weaving, Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery (2024)

  • Collect Art Fair with Cavaliero Finn (2024)

  • Sussex Landscape: Chalk, Wood, Water, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (2023)

  • The Five Seasons, Make Hauser & Wirth Somerset (2023)

  • The Internal Landscape, Kevis House for Petworth Festival (2022)

  • Collect Art Fair with Cavaliero Finn (2022)

  • CONTINUITIES: 2000 Years of Abstract Art, selected by Paul Hughes (2021)

  • Warp Weft Stitch Thread, Arundel (July 2021)

  • Crafting a Difference, London (2021)

  • Common Thread, New Art Centre, Wiltshire (2020)

  • London Art Fair (2020)

  • Kate Derum Award Exhibition, Australian Tapestry Workshop, Melbourne (2019)

  • Cordis Tapestry Prize, Inverleith House, Edinburgh (2019)

  • Collect, Saatchi Gallery (2019)

All my works are available for purchase — please feel free to reach out via the contact form to ask about what’s currently available.