| CLAIRE A BAKER EMBROIDERY ARTIST | |
| Personal Statement: | |
| Looking back over all my past work the common denominator or overarching theme is ‘Loss’. I respond to my own and others’ feelings (or emotions) through the medium of textiles – print and embroidery, the outcomes often provoking these same feelings or at least an empathy from its’ audience which creates a deeper understanding of the lives, experiences and situations of, the other.
PhD: As a textile practitioner/researcher and critically, through a co-design methodology which draws on auto-ethnography, I investigate the everyday embroideries of an obsolescent community – the Babushkas of Chernobyl. I aim to contemporise their textile history for new audiences, in order that their voices be heard and their stitched legacy preserved. The main focus are the meaningful relationships we have built together, and continuing that connectedness and communication through major, often unforeseen and unfathomable difficulties and trauma. My fascination with the lost, memory and place, motivates me to take major risks in order to benefit my practice and my life experience. |
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| Education: | |
| 2020 – 23 | Northumbria University School of Design: PhD |
| 2019 | Fellow of Higher Education Academy |
| 2016 – 18 | Manchester Metropolitan University: MFA Embroidery |
| 2014 – 16 | Manchester Metropolitan University: MA Embroidery |
| 2006 – 08 | University of Huddersfield: PGCE |
| 1999 – 05 | Cleveland College of Art& Design, Hartlepool: BA (Hons) Textiles and Surface Design-1st Class Honours |
| Awards: | |
| 2022 | Finalist, North East Culture Awards: ‘Visual Artist of the Year’ |
| 2021 | Northern Bridge Large Grant Scheme Beneficiary [supporting fieldwork in Chernobyl, Ukraine] |
| 2019 | Arts and Humanities Research Council Studentship Award (Ph.D.) |
| 2019 | Mikhail Prokhorov Foundation. Travel Grant Recipient [Siberia] |
| 2019 | Creative Factory, Middlesbrough. Grant Recipient |
| 2019 | British Council Ukraine. Mobility Grant Recipient |
| 2019 | Artist Commission: #untitled10 2019 The Bowes Museum, Co. Durham |
| 2019 | Finalist, The Dover Prize 2019 |
| 2018 | British Council/Crafts Council Creative Futures Grant Scheme Recipient |
| 2018 | Finalist, 2018 Dorothy Waxman Textile Design Prize |
| 2016 | A-N Travel Bursary |
| 2012 | Winner, Acquisition Prize, Contextile 2012, Portugal |
| 2009 | Finalist, European Prize for Applied Arts, Belgium |
| 2006 | Prize winner, Charles Henry Foyle Trust Competition |
| 2004 | Winner of ‘Designers of Tomorrow’, Paris |
| Publications & Papers: | |
| 2021 | Babushka as icon – practice as research and the importance of the sketchbook: Russian Fashion Theory: Journal of Dress, Body & Culture, Winter, No.62, pp. 237–251 ‘Бабушка как икона: исследовательская практика и ценность скетчбука.’ Theories and Practices of Art & Design – Sociocultural, Economic & Political Contexts, Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia |
| 2019 | An experiential investigation into the embroidery practices of the Chernobyl Babushka: Futurescan 4 Conference – Valuing Practice, University of Bolton Theories and Practices of Art & Design – Sociocultural, Economic & Political Contexts, Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia: ‘экспериментальный исследование практик вышивания чернобыльских «бабушек»’ Fashion, Costume and Visual Culture – FCVC2019, Lille, France Baker, C. A. (2019). ‘An experiential investigation into the embroidery practices of the Chernobyl Babushka’, Clothing Cultures, 6:1, pp. 17–34, doi: 10.1386/cc_00002_1 |
| 2018 | An anthropological investigation of the Chernobyl Babushka: Perspectives in Art and Design |
| Pre-2018 | 500 Felt Objects, The Big Book of Fashion Illustration, International Textiles |
| Employment & Exhibitions: | |
| Present
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Exhibiting Embroidery and Textile Artist Arts Project Manager, Chernobyling Festival, Ukraine Lead Artist and Project Manager 26:86 Collective H.E. Lecturer in Textiles at The Northern School of Art (2005 – 2020+) |
| August 2022 | Acquisition of works for the Middlesbrough Collection, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art [MIMA] |
| Oct ’21 – Mar ’22 | The Red Thread. Solo Research Exhibition, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art [MIMA] |
| Oct ’20 – 2022 | Co-Curator of new making programme with local aged communities and the aged self-settlers of Chernobyl, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art |
| November 2019 | Solo Exhibition, KRYAKK 2019: Krasnoyarsk Book & Culture Fair [with Fashion Theory Journal], Siberia, Russia |
| Oct ’19 – Feb ’20 | #untitled10 2019 Exhibition, The Bowes Museum, Co. Durham |
| Sept – Nov ’19 | Place, Home, Loss & Legacy. Solo Exhibition, Hartlepool Art Gallery |
| Sept 2018 | Talent! (Mohawk NYTM) New York City |
| August 2018 | (Street) Art Project Manager ‘Chernobyling’ Festival, Kiev, Ukraine |
| Sept – Nov 2017 | 26:86 Chernobyl 30 Years On Exhibition – Hartlepool Art Gallery |
| Sept – Nov 2017 | 26:86 Chernobyl 30 Years On Exhibition – Satellite Exhibition – CCAD |
| Aug – Sept 2017 | Chernobyling Festival, Slavutych & Chernobyl, Ukraine |
| June 2017 | Collaboration Project ‘Slavutych’ with Nicola Golightly, Graphic Visual Artist |
| April 2017 | 26:86 Guerilla Exhibition, Palace of Culture, Pripyat, Ukraine |
| Feb 2017 | 26:86 Chernobyl 30 Years On Exhibition – St. Joseph’s Church, Stanley, Co. Durham |
| Dec 2016 | 26:86 Chernobyl 30 Years On Exhibition – House of Blah Blah, Middlesbrough |
| Sept 2016 | CCAD Exhibitor |
| July – Oct 2016 | Exhibitor: Contextile 2016 Textile Biennial, Portugal |
| July 2016 | Liverpool Fringe Biennale Exhibitor |
| June 2016 | June 2016 Baltic Book Fair (26:86 Collective) |
| June 2016 | Zine Purchased For Baltic Archive Permanent Collection |
| Jan+ 2016 | Instituted and Established 26:86 Collective |
| July 2015 | Exhibitor, The Baltic Book Fair, The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Aug 2015 | One Day Open House Interactive Collectorvism Exhibition |
| May 2015+ | A Group Gathering: Daphne’s Glove, collaborative touring exhibition. Hereford (Aug 2015) & Staffs (2016) |
| Feb 2015 | Exhibitor, Collective Exhibition; ‘Work in Progress’ – CCAD |
| Jun 2014+ | British By Design: Designer & Maker |
| 2009 – 14 | Professional Member of Designed & Made |
| Nov 2013 | Exhibitor – ‘In Dreams’ – Customs House, South Shields |
| Nov 2013 | Exhibitor – ‘Christmas Crackers’ – Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead |
| Nov 2013 | Exhibitor – Ouseburn Open Studios |
| Oct 2013 | Northern Design Festival, Design Event Mart & ‘Ouse St General Store’ – Globe Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Feb-May 2013 | Solo Textile Exhibition ‘Collector’ – Folio Gallery, CCAD |
| Sept 2012 | Exhibitor: Contextile 2012 Textile Triennial, Portugal |
| Oct 2011 | Exhibitor: ‘Design Event Presents’ – Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead |
| 2011 – 12 | Product showcase: DLI Museum & Art Gallery, Durham |
| Oct 2010 | Exhibitor at Baltic Square ‘Design Event’, Wondercart, Designed & Made |
| Sept 2010 | London Design Festival, exhibitor with Designed & Made |
| July 2010 | Love Me Live With Me, limited edition product – commissioned for Designed & Made |
| June 2010 | Exhibitor with WCC, ‘Eunique’- Karlsruhe, Germany |
| May 2010 | Member of Board of Directors of Designed & Made |
| Pre 2010 | Please ask for details. |
| References on Request | |