Highlighting the Artistic Journey of Jody Loaring, featuring at the Miniartextil34 Exhibition!
We are absolutely delighted to share this incredible news - our talented art lecturer, Jody Loaring, has been invited to exhibit her work at Miniartextil34 this term in Como, Italy!
What an extraordinary achievement! It’s an honour to see Jody being recognised on such a prestigious international platform dedicated to fibre art. The internationally renowned exhibition of contemporary fibre art, held at Palazzo del Broletto in Como from 9 August to 21 September.
Jody is one of the fifty-four selected artists from eleven countries, in this edition that presents works that span from the signature minitextiles to ambitious, large-scale installations. Featured artists include Joana Vasconcelos, Joel Andrianomearisoa, Samuel Nnorom, Sabrina Mezzaqui, and others shaping the global fibre art scene.
With an accompanying program of workshops, concerts, and cultural events, Miniartextil continues to be a key platform for innovation and dialogue in contemporary textile practice.
Jody shares what led to this moment:
“After exhibiting internationally in 2024, I felt inspired to submit my work to Miniartextil34. Last year, I was honoured to be named a Master Artisan by the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, a non-profit organisation based in Geneva. This recognition led to an invitation to show my sculptural piece, ‘The Ballad of Mary Smith,’ at the Homo Faber Craft Biennale in Venice.
That experience was truly transformative. The connections I made with fellow makers and the exposure to a global creative community encouraged me to apply for this latest opportunity. Being selected for Miniartextil34—a highly regarded exhibition that celebrates excellence in fibre textiles—is incredibly meaningful.
To exhibit in Como, a city with such a rich textile heritage, will no doubt be a significant and enriching experience for my artistic practice. The work I’ll be presenting continues my exploration of the life of my great-great-great-grandmother, Mary Smith, and the tragic story of her death at the hands of her husband.”
Jody's technique
A collection of six small shell forms. These forms are metaphors for survival, crafted by coiling bands of blended fibres into broad, low conical shapes with small whip stitches. These are attached to thin hand-built oval ceramic bases using figure-eight and mariposa stitches, evoking giant patella limpets of the southwest coast of Western Australia, anchored in a treacherous sea. Each coiled fibre band combines linen, gold, embroidery, and paper threads to mimic the texture and tone of shells. The oval bases—hand-built, stained, and glazed from stoneware clay—are pierced with openings that reflect the markings of weathered shells and serve as anchor points for the coiled textile tops.
Visit Jody’s website or connect with Jody on Instagram to follow her journey.
To read more information, visit the Miniartextil wesbite(opens in a new tab) .