Aimee Spilsted Cheshire, United Kingdom
Spilsted forms contemplative pieces that resonate with the tenuous threads holding us together - Repair is the golden thread that weaves its way into all aspects of her practice.
Working primarily in wood, textiles, metal and ceramics, Spilsted forms contemplative pieces that resonate with the tenuous threads holding us together, objects and people that keep us grounded, and the unexpected voids within our hearts. Focusing in on our tendency to hide behind busy wellness, and mask feelings of despair and deep sadness.
Repair is the golden thread that weaves its way into all aspects of her practice.
Salvaging utilitarian, discarded and unwanted items and materials, investing time to mend bonds. Charring wood surfaces using shou sugi ban techniques, and adorning marks of distress with precious 24ct and 9ct gold leaf. Lustrous fine black threads from a spool that once belonged to the Macclesfield silk industry bind areas that have gone too far. Running stitch in faded wheaten colour fibres that were painstakingly removed from the heedles of a jacquard loom in Paradise Mill, strengthen worn areas of reclaimed silk and cotton. Functional aluminium tomato puree tubes with their golden inners are hammered with care, shaped into reinforcement patches and staples. Clay is hand built and press-moulded, then kiln fired with glazes that mimic distressed texture, fibres and worn out colours. Paint remnants destined for landfill add layers of resurfacing, rubbed back to reveal an origin story.
Current works explore the vulnerable resilience of the human psyche and the evolving legacy of Macclesfield’s Silk industry. Unravelling Interrupted.
We are all a little bit broken and in need of repair.
