Louise Brooke Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom

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Louise Brooke is a Scottish textile artist, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Fuelled by a love of evocative words; Louise celebrates vulnerability to create meaningful and deeply personal pieces. A contemporary take on traditional banners, her practice evokes the rich heritage of women’s work.

Trained in Fashion Design, Louise returned to creative practice to support her wellbeing, following her partner’s diagnosis with Becker Muscular Dystrophy. Her first piece was inspired by Tom Waits’, “You Can Never Hold Back Spring”, a message of hope and inevitable renewal.

Centred around a love of words, Louise has two textile based practices. She makes bespoke velvet banners on commission for homes, weddings and events, finding resonance in the cherished words and stories selected to accompany meaningful moments. Alongside this, in her personal art practice - she scales up her intimate handwritten notes into banners to celebrate vulnerability.

Louise is inspired by the familiar and uniquely intimate relationship we have with fabric as a material, instinctively knowing how something will feel, its weight and texture. She is particularly drawn to fabrics which feel ‘special’ and have a relationship with light - the way velvet changes colour and the translucent nature of organza allowing it to cast shadows.