Alice Hume in collaboration with Catharine Russell

As part of my professional development I worked with writer, journalist and ceramicist Catharine Russell on an artist statement. I was asked to bring along four objects that were important to me, which could have included, photographs, quotes, music, jewellery or even letters. After careful consideration I decided to bring along a letter from a friend that had passed away, a hand carved copper moon my dad made me as a gift, a photograph of all the Hume family together, and my favourite book - Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite by Paul Arden

This gave a starting point for our conversation. These objects represented what is most important to me in my life, which we discovered was family and my roots, community, handcraft and the natural world. Catharine felt it was important the statement sounded like me and captured my voice, she used my own words, beautifully capturing who I am.

Incredible photographs by Alex Fountain.

Alice and her father at Victorious Festival creating the woven teepee

Family is the fabric of my life and community is the thread running through it: each offers a rich tapestry to be woven into my work.

The roots run deep - I come from a large, close-knit family, all of whom express themselves creatively in different ways. An uncle, who is a palaeontologist and an accomplished painter; a sister, who studies dance and art; a father, whose working life as a plumber has now turned towards making sturdy loom frames and delicate copper sculpture; an aunt, who knits; a cousin, who is a tattoo artist.

Further back, my grandparents and great grandparents were painters, embroiderers, seamstresses and lace makers, and my more distant ancestors were Flemish weavers. I firmly believe that through my weaving, I am connecting with my forebears and those days gone by, that the fibre of my creativity stretches across the centuries. Modern day life allows me to nurture these bonds – as a family we live close to one another and meet often; we are united and strong, supportive in all that we do.

The wider community is also important in my practice and I strive to work with artists and the public, friends and strangers, through joint projects and teaching. For me, it is about building a creative hub, bringing people together and establishing new relationships - we are always stronger when we collaborate, when ideas are shared, when conversations develop and friendships grow.

My practice allows me to work alone, on my own projects, yet at times to throw open my studio doors to others for a while, for them to embrace the joys of making. Whilst I welcome solitude, having people around me is also vital and I cannot imagine my studio without the sound of chatter and laughter resonating through it. Sometimes, though, I love the silence echoing in a full room that tells me the trance of creativity is working its magic - that people have become lost in their own world, drawn away from everyday worries.

Inspiration for my work comes from travel and discovering how other people live. Studying in Sweden for six months, a holiday in Japan and developing a project around the Native Americans are among the journeys that have influenced my weaving over the years – I am fascinated by the different cultural ways of life and the family bonds that tie communities together. You will see embroidery, wrapping, knotting and hand weaving coming together on my Harris floor loom - a lineage of techniques that take me back to my roots and ancestors, connecting with heritage forms of handicraft.

The environment, sustainability and climate change strongly influence my working processes and practices, from workshops to sourcing materials. These vital issues have prompted me to grow my own flax for making linen fibres and explore nettles as a natural textile source; as I nurture and nourish the plants I have discovered a sublime connection between land and cloth - and have developed a relationship with nature that will never be broken.

I aspire to keep the legacy alive of what is acknowledged to be one of the oldest surviving crafts in the world: weaving traces its roots back to Neolithic times, some 12,000 years ago. Someone once described my work as “ancient and contemporary” and her words have remained etched on my mind – I am following in the footsteps of my forefathers yet treading a modern path in my craft, with bright colours and vibrant designs integral to my weaving.

My designs are organic, they develop as I work, and it is an instinctive process. I take a slow pace, giving myself time to reflect – in this busy world I prefer not to rush. I like to incorporate vintage material into my weaving, old yarns and threads that could easily have been thrown away – they are special, because there is a story behind them. They have the touch of the human hand ingrained upon them - people from a long lost past, unknown families and distant lives that are quietly kept alive through the permanence of weaving.

My smaller looms are lovingly made by my father, the frame offering great strength, the warp providing essential support and the weft telling a colourful story, with each row of yarn bringing a narrative to the whole: a metaphor, perhaps, for my own life in which family, community and craft are inextricably braided together.

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Artist Statement