Nicci James is to feature amongst other Artists exhibiting this weekend at Stour Space.

Hackney Wicks multifunctional Creative Canal venue offers a platform for promotion and production of art and design, performance and creative enterprise. With a focus on supporting local creative talent alongside sustainability and the economy, Stour Space plays a huge asset to the local community bringing people together and generating exposure to support people of all abilities within all disciplines.

This weekend Nasty Women UK will presents a creative programme for female voices to make some noise both visually and very literally. This presentation includes an art exhibition, talks, workshops, installations, music and comedy in support of the End Violence Against Women charity. The art Exhibition will feature many talented artists with many specialism’s, including embroideries by the talented Nicci James.

Nicci James is an artist who takes a playful approach to design through the skilful handling of materials and with an emphasis on texture and colour. Her illustrative style and love of experimentation translates primarily into visually rich garments featuring elements of knit, screen-print and embroidery which have won her international acclaim. Nicci is currently working freelance on commissioned artworks and is developing her own personal practise alongside mentoring students at Heathfield School in Ascot.

“Narrative and storytelling is an inherent part of my practise and I am consistently inspired by traditional fabric pattern and symbols. Recently, the huge amount of change in my life has had a big impact on my relationship with artmaking and I have becoming increasingly interested in what ‘femininity’ is, and the undeniable ‘lesser’ that is associated with it. This led me to looking at gendered objects, and how meaning is inscribed onto them and transferred to the bodies they interact with. I am interested in reclaiming femininity and exploring/expanding the gender boundaries society has created.”

This weekends Nasty Women UK art Exhibition will feature many talented artists with many specialism’s, including Nicci’s embroideries. Artworks will be available to buy with all proceeds going to the End Violence Against Women charity. Each artist has creativly responded uniquely to the charity and its drive to support womens rights. I sit down with Nicci to discuss how she approached this opportunity and applied her own views and interests towards gendered objects and femininity.

“Flowers are traditionally associated with the feminine: they are beautiful, delicate, fragile. When was the last time you felt threatened by a flower? I have discovered that not all flowers are so defenceless. The embroideries created for the exhibition are of are highly poisonous ‘delicate blooms’ Monkshood and Oleander- powerful enough to kill someone if left unchecked. In the largely forgotten language of flowers, they mean “Beware” and “I am dangerous”. They defy their seeming fragility and demand respect. To be worn or displayed wherever the hell you want, Nasty Flowers serve as a reminder to all women that, even on your fragile days, you are powerful and deserve respect.

The Nasty Women UK callout resonated with me for a number of reasons. Firstly, I am a woman, secondly I am a feminist and, thirdly, I refuse to be ashamed of being either of those things and believe that nobody else should be either. Having spent the majority of my life in predominantly female environments, empowering women is very important to me. Surprisingly, or not, I don’t identify very strongly with “feminine” and this has always been a big deal for me. I would love to live in a world where gender doesn’t matter, where we can be proud to be feminine, whatever gender we are, where it feels enough.

It was quite a challenge for me to submit to this open call. Only having a few days between finding out about it and the deadline, meant I had to work quickly, which in some ways was brilliant, as there was no time to overthink. I am so happy to have successfully created some work to support this exhibition, both as a personal achievement and because it is such a great cause! “

These embroideries by Nicci James resonate a really passion and truly honest, refreshing approach to such a fantastic charity. Assist us in supporting our artist of the month and one-to-watch at the diverse Stour Space in honour of Nasty Women UK.

EYES PEELED: Nasty Women UK will run from 22nd to 24th September at Stour Space in Hackney Wick. 

The exhibition is FREE to visit but talks, comedy and music are ticketed.

For Further information visit Stour Space Here!

All artworks will be on sale, including Nicci’s Nasty Flowers, with all proceeds going to the End Violence Against Women charity.

See further information on the incredible Nasty Women UK charity Here!

The embroideries featured in the Nasty Women exhibition by Nicci James are the beginnings of a new series of work entitled ‘Nasty Flowers’. They are available to purchase on request by emailing Nicci directly at nicci@niccijames.co.uk.

Nicci’s Links:

Website

Instagram

Etsy

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