Annalisa Middleton

5k followers

I am a mixed media textile artist and designer specialising in Goldwork embroidery, the use of metal threads and wires.I began my career, after studying fine art and performance at Darlington college of arts, as a costume maker for Prangsta costumiers in South London. There I learnt millinery, garment construction and gained experience teaching dress making, whilst also developing a unique aesthetic informed by the art of dress. My embroidery career took off when I won the 2016 Hand and Lock prize for which I was awarded 1st prize in the open fashion category. The working of gold wires has been used for centuries in holy vestments and ecclesiastic works of art in both western and Eastern traditions. I continue to revere the craft by making hallowed objects using them to tell stories and imbue meaning in a contemporary style that acknowledges the past. I’m passionate to preserve this endangered craft, teaching not only the technical process but how to relate designs and symbols into stitch, in order to create modern works of sacred art. I have taught students embroidery at the Frederick Leighton museum, the British museum and now in my studio at Cockpit arts in Deptford. I am used to teaching absolute beginners and I have experience adapting my classes for those with varying abilities. I encourage anyone who can hold a needle to give embroidery a try, there is always a way to tackle things that seem tricky at first. Thank you for reading I look forward to welcoming you to one of my classes.