Archive collection - Essaouira wallhangings

This is a collection of silk hangings have been inspired by a research trip to ESSAOUIRA, a small coastal Medina town in MOROCCO.

Studio shots showing working in progress of the Essaouira wallhangings being created.

This series, initial commissioned to be part of The Scottish Gallery exhibit in SOFA Chicago (USA) in 2002. These initial early pieces then acted as a catalyst for further works and consequently exhibited in the UK, USA and resulted in further commission work.

Developed from a series of primary source drawings, which were done on location in Essaouira, and backed up with inspiration from secondary source, and objects taken back from Morocco.

The ornamental adornment of the antique Moroccan rugs, and the beautiful long skinny ‘Berber’ woven strips often hung and displayed around Moroccan Interiors, was a great inspiration for this piece. Jane has tried to emanate the repeating patterns by layering up acid dyes in a similar way, reapplying colour on colour and distressing the application each time using a combination of techniques.

Using the highest quality silk, the wall hanging was entirely hand painted, printed and handmade to exacting standards. It is completely unique. The hanging was gradually built up with layers of reductive acid dye and illuminant acid dye which was applied by hand painting; mono-printing and silk screen printing techniques. It has gone through a rigorous layering process of applying dye; fixation; and finishing approximately four or five times before it was finally complete.