Gillian Cooper

Artist Statement

One step, one mark, one stitch. On their own, they are fairly meaningless, but repeated and gathered together, these ordinary everyday gestures become part of a rhythm that connects body, place, and process, forming the foundation of my creative practice.

My work investigates the shifting rhythms that emerge as I move between these media. Each transition generates a new iteration, a new way of seeing and interpreting place and experience.
Many of my pieces are constructed from fabrics with history and often coloured or altered by the environment which inspires them. These materials carry memory, grounding the work whilst they are transformed with new narratives.

Teaching runs alongside my art practice and it informs much of what I do. Both rely on experimentation, and the willingness to explore new techniques and ideas — an ongoing dialogue between process, material and discovery.