The Circle of Life (2001-2)

By

Sharon Gill

 
A photograph of a piece of textile art featuring female figures holding hands .

A photograph of a piece of textile art featuring female figures holding hands .

A project to create a community inspired permanent artwork for the new Jessop Wing Hospital for Women in Sheffield.

Isobel Blincow designed the Circle Of Life project to enable contributions from the community that have recollections of the hospital, both staff and patients, past and present. Templates of human figures and instructions were designed, and the project was advertised in the local media and through the hospitals own channels. packs were sent out, to ensure size and fabric weight would work together when the final piece was constructed. The response was so amazing that 2 wall hangings were made which are still on display in 2020. A printed report was produced detailing the process and all the contributors so we could capture the stories behind each of the panels and acknowledge the many volunteers who spent many hours sewing them all together.

More information: www.sharon-gill.com

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Sharon Gill

Sharon's fascination with textiles and fibre is currently about enjoying an explosion of colour and pattern through traditional quilting techniques. Having recently worked on a heritage project, looking into the past and how we represent today for the future, she has come to consider a quilt as contemporary archiving. The therapeutic nature of the activity, of most stitching and other textile construction techniques, only reinforces her belief in the ability of the arts to generate well-being.

www.sharon-gill.com

ProjectContributorTextiles, Wellbeing, Health, Women