QEST Alumni Feature at Decorex Making Spaces 2024
26th September 2024
Decorex 2024 is back this October, and one of the highlights is the Making Spaces showcase, featuring talented QEST alumni. These artisans, ranging from textile designers to silversmiths and shoemakers, will not only display their work but also offer live demonstrations, allowing visitors a unique behind-the-scenes look at their creative process.
This year’s event also introduces Making Spaces Workshops, offering hands-on experiences such as silk painting and copper embossing, alongside VIP talks and live mural painting.
Decorex takes place on 6-9 October at Olympia London. Book your tickets here.
QEST Alumni include:
- Amy Collins (Printed textile design)
- Bryony Knox (Silversmithing)
- Deborah Carre (Leather vessels and shoemaking)
- Elizabeth Ashdown (Passementerie)
- Hanny Newton (Embroidery)
- Natasha Mann (Decorative Art)
- Sofia Karakatsanis (Furniture making)
- Valérie Wartelle (Wet felting)
Amy Collins
Printed textile design
Amy Collins’ designs blend old and new, reinventing 18th-century botanical illustrations by incorporating modern motifs, materials, and production techniques. Her distinct approach results in textiles that bridge tradition and innovation.
Bryony Knox
Silversmithing
Bryony Knox combines contemporary chased silver with glass to craft sculptural yet functional centrepieces. A love of storytelling, movement and colour lies behind her collection, with function and form inspired by the essence of animals and birds.
Deborah Carre
Leather vessels and shoemaking
Deborah Carre merges cordwaining expertise with a deep connection to the natural world. Her leatherwork spans from small objects to large architectural pieces, all designed to evoke comfort and invite touch. Her creations are inspired by the rugged beauty of remote island life.
Elizabeth Ashdown
Passementerie
Elizabeth Ashdown is a dedicated passementerie artist, working to revive the endangered craft of creating elaborate trimmings like tassels and braids. With fewer than five UK makers in this field, Elizabeth’s innovative techniques aim to modernise and preserve this intricate art.
Hanny Newton
Embroidery
Hanny Newton explores the possibilities of traditional goldwork embroidery, using natural fibres like wheat and rye straw as alternatives to gold. Her work challenges us to rethink what is considered precious, blending ancient techniques with a modern, eco-conscious approach.
Natasha Mann
Decorative art
Natasha Mann specialises in the Moroccan art of Zouaq painting, creating intricate geometric designs for interiors and fine art pieces. Her work uses hand-ground pigments, egg tempera, and gold leaf to craft bespoke panels, murals, and decorative objects that are both traditional and contemporary.
Sofia Karakatsanis
Furniture making
Sofia Karakatsanis is a maker of sculptural furniture and objects based in the West Midlands. Her work focuses on the interaction between maker and material, and explores the interplay between the beautiful and the grotesque with delicate yet repellent forms.
Valérie Wartelle
Wet felting
Valérie Wartelle’s wet felting technique transforms natural fibres into tactile landscapes that evoke emotional connections with nature. Her work, rooted in her French and French Polynesian upbringing, invites contemplation and offers a soothing sense of place and belonging.
