ARTIST INTERVIEW: ROSE CORDERY, BATSFORD PRIZE 2024 APPLIED ART & TEXTILES/OVERALL WINNER
Here we get an inside look into the work of Rose Cordery, Applied Art and Textile Winner as well as Overall Winner of The Batsford Prize 2024. Studying, Fine Art & Applied Textiles at Arts University Bournemouth, her work Unravelled responds to the 2024 theme of Gravity through angles of systematic oppression and femininity.
HI ROSE! CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT YOUR PIECE UNRAVELLED? WHAT IS IT YOU’RE TRYING TO SAY WITH YOUR WORK AND DOES THE FINAL PIECE DIFFER FROM THE ORIGINAL IDEA?
Unravelled is a body of work exploring the unravelling from ideals of femininity and the association of women with florals and passivity. It comments on the systemic oppression of women, and the fetishisation of femininity under the male gaze. There’s a confessional tone to the body of work, as it explores a sense of unravelling poetic florals and wild natural imagery, challenging the idea of ordered florals. The final embodiment of this narrative is translated through tactile and expressive samples that have been distressed and embellished, in a communication of the original concept.
WHO ARE YOUR PARTICULAR ARTIST INSPIRATIONS AND WHAT MOTIVATES YOU CREATIVELY?
Lyndall Watson, El Anatsui and Thea Bjerg are some of the creatives that particularly inspire me and my practice. Contextual considerations and research underpins my work, combined with colour and textural studies that are informed by natural imagery. I also often find literature inspires my project work, as I explore the tangible translation of embedded narratives.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER YOU COMPLETE YOUR STUDIES?
My plans are to continue expanding my portfolio, gaining inspiration and building creative connections, which will be followed by an MA where I’ll continue to explore my textiles and art practice.
WHAT LED YOU TO CREATE THIS PIECE IN THIS PARTICULAR MEDIUM?
I was interested in incorporating repurposed and natural fabrics within my work, as a reflection of my personal interest in sustainable practice. Furthermore, the use of textured and embellished surfaces embodies the natural imagery that inspired this project, in addition to a conceptual translation of a sense of unravelling. Delicate material has been frayed and distressed, to further express this sense of embedded narrative.
WHY DID YOU WANT TO STUDY TEXTILES AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT YOUR COURSE THAT YO THINK IS PARTICULARLY UNIQUE?
I have always enjoyed a sense of tactility, and have incorporated this within my art. When I found this course, I felt excited to be able to draw on my art background and to explore this with a sense of fabric, pattern and texture. The openness to possibility and unique perspectives that this course offers and encourages has impacted my textiles practice significantly, and has allowed me to develop and explore my visual voice.
WHAT DOES WINNING THE BATSFORD PRIZE MEAN TO YOU?
Winning the Batsford Prize has been such an honour, in addition to being an incredible opportunity to interact with other creatives. I’ve really enjoyed this valuable experience, and it’s been lovely to be part of this exhibition in a celebration of all the shortlisted works.
IF YOU COULD HAVE CHOSEN THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR’S BATSFORD PRIZE, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE CHOSEN AND WHY?
I would’ve chosen ‘Suspended in stillness’, encouraging creative personal interpretation of this conceptual theme. I could see this being explored in many different variations, translating a sense of motion and chaos being eroded into a sense of stillness. This could be depicted as a sense of solace, or perhaps with underlying tension.
More of Rose Cordery’s work can be found on her Instagram.
ABOUT THE BATSFORD PRIZE
The Batsford Prize is an annual award open for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the fields of applied art and textiles, fine art, illustration, children’s illustration and NEW for 2025, Architecture. View the winners and runners up of this year’s award. The theme for the Batsford Prize 2025 is Fun & Play.
Interviews for the other Batsford Prize 2024 winners are available to read here:
