Chiswick without Borders
‘Chiswick Without Borders’ is a participatory art project conceived and led by textile artist Ekta Kaul, commissioned by Abundance London. This work seeks to celebrate the vibrant multicultural community of Chiswick. Residents were invited to stitch their connections to the world with symbolic migratory birds – a pair of swallows linking their house on the map of Chiswick to places around the world where their family roots are. The project received a tremendous response and over 600 birds were pinned on the map in just 3 frenetic hours. The birds and routes were subsequently hand-embroidered by Ekta and a team of local volunteers over a period of 4 months.
The project was launched under the arches of the railway lines at Turnham Green tube on Sunday 28 Jan 2018, coinciding with the unveiling of ‘The Chiswick Timeline.’
In March 2019 the embroidery was installed in Chiswick Library, for permanent display.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Ekta Kaul is an award winning textile artist and designer. Her textiles are imbued with character, they speak of exquisite hand craftsmanship, simplicity and timeless design. Ekta creates bespoke embroidered maps based on personal histories and small editions of scarves exploring contemporary expressions of stitch. Sumptuous silks, fine wools and soft cashmeres are embroidered, hand-dyed and printed in simple graphic compositions using time-honoured methods.
Ekta’s visual language is rooted in the plural – a seamless blend of her Indian heritage and a western approach that is built on the foundation of her design education in India and the UK. She trained at India’s premier design school the National Institute of Design, founded on Charles and Ray Eames manifesto and Bauhaus principles. She then won the Charles Wallace and British Council scholarships to pursue MA Textiles in the UK. Since setting up her studio practice in 2008, she has gained the following of a discerning audience. Her work is seen at some of the most respected galleries and stores in the UK and the US including CAA, Designers Guild, Ruthin Craft Centre, Museum of Art and Design among others. She has received awards from the Crafts Council and the Arts Council, England & was nominated for the Arts Foundation Fellowship in 2010. Ekta works from her studio at Cockpit Arts, Bloomsbury.
