Katharine Swailes – Artist Statement

Weaving the Oudolf Field

My colourfield tapestry works investigate the meditative nature of handwoven weaving, rooted in one of the oldest global technologies. Each day at the loom connects me to this long tradition—working as tapestry weavers have done for millennia, with tools and materials that remain largely unchanged.

I am drawn to the rigorous, methodical planning of tapestry and the tactile qualities of natural fibres. My current work uses worsted wool and cotton yarn, with all wool yarns hand-dyed in my studio. Dyeing is central to the process: palettes emerge from visits to the Oudolf Field, where I translate the colours and atmosphere of the garden into dye recipes. Pigments are carefully mixed into dye baths, producing families of colour that grow into the woven work.

Process and Materials

I use a minimal number of woven tapestry techniques, avoiding shaping slits or sewing. This allows the process to flow as a continual, uninterrupted walk through the Oudolf Field, echoing its cycles of growth, decay, and renewal.

My colourfield weavings are herbaceous in nature—bringing the outside in while also exploring the inner landscape. Each section is woven with discontinuous wefts spanning only the width of my hand (about 9 cm), ensuring an even surface and a harmonious rhythm.

The weft is plied from seven strands of hand-dyed wool, chosen from the custom colour palette, with a single mercerised cotton thread added to create subtle lustre. These are wound into butterflies (a traditional weaving method of holding yarn). Extensive preparation ensures that once I begin weaving, the focus is on guiding weft through warp, building a meditative rhythm that becomes a calm visual pathway, rich in minute hidden detail.

The Five Seasons – Hauser & Wirth Somerset

Exhibition dates: 15 April – 11 June 2022
Location: Hauser & Wirth Somerset
Opening times: Wed – Sat, 10 am – 1 pm and 2 pm – 4 pm

I exhibited new handwoven tapestries in The Five Seasons, a multidisciplinary exhibition at Hauser & Wirth Somerset. Six artist-makers responded to the philosophy of landscape designer Piet Oudolf, celebrating cycles of nature and the overlooked beauty of growth and decay.

The show brought together diverse works—from porcelain landscapes to elemental wood and metal forms—each exploring the sacred in the ordinary. The artworks reflected both microscopic detail and large-scale vistas, evoking a dreamlike immersion in the natural world.

As Piet Oudolf reflects, “It’s not what you see, but what you see in it.” This philosophy resonates deeply with my own practice, where traditional tapestry weaving becomes a meditative act of observation, rhythm, and renewal.