Where I work
I live alone in a small terrace house. I have a 2nd bedroom which functions as a studio/store/guest room. The main living area has beautiful soft light with full width, floor to ceiling glass windows which look out onto a small courtyard garden. This is where I spend most of my time weaving, drawing and living.
What inspired my work
I made ‘Allegiance’, a series of gingham tapestries, after a studio residency in Italy, where I became increasingly aware of the importance of regional difference. As a migrant I explored ideas relating to sense of place and home, using gingham fabric as a signifier of the universal. Gingham check is an elemental weave structure that is present in most cultures that have produced woven fabric. Over time gingham became synonymous with my own identity, hence my personal flag which links me to a wider world.
How I made it
Using a small tapestry frame strips of cotton and silk have been tightly woven into squares which have been inserted into fields of the same gingham fabric. For me, this was a relatively simple and quick process, in comparison with the large and technically complex tapestries that were being woven at the same time. The works strength lies in its bold simplicity.
What I am working on
In the last year I have undertaken residencies in Kyoto and Lisbon. I am currently completing a series of small ‘Tatami’ drawings and tapestries in which I explore the drawn/woven line. I have been collaborating with Gosia Wlodarczak who is known for her performative drawings. Our ‘Cyclamen Project’ is on exhibition at the Australian Tapestry Workshop. We have planned a further series of projects which will take place in Melbourne and Japan, continuing our interest in the relationship between drawing and weaving.
Due to the current situation I have not completed the ‘Gingko Project’ in Lisbon, but plan to return to collaborate with A Avó Veio Trabalhar – weavings, embroideries, a book and performance will celebrate the lives of the extraordinary elderly women associated with the organisation.
Biography
Sara Lindsay was born in the UK and currently lives and works from her home studio in Melbourne. She received her initial training in tapestry at the Australian Tapestry Workshop where she held the positions of weaver and studio manager. She received an MA (Fine Art Research) from RMIT and her tapestries are represented in several public collections, including NGV, NGA, TMAG, Powerhouse Museum, RMIT & TAMA.
Instagram: @slindsay.studio #cyclamenproject #gingkoprojeto
