MARGO SELBY

b. 1977, Eastbourne, UK

Selby is an artist and designer working with colour and geometric form in textiles. She makes handwoven artworks, and oversees the design work of the Margo Selby Studio for mill production and commercial textiles applications – her tenet being ‘Art Into Industry’ – an approach to making art that is akin to that of the ‘Old Masters’ and mistresses, with their expanded studios and public commissions.

Selby uses thread to create abstract geometric artworks that explore repetition and transition, symmetry and asymmetry, the dynamic and the stable. She is interested in the relationship between the body and the machine, hand and industry, craft and technology. The loom, and the disciplined nature of weaving as a practice, provides boundaries and constraints which can be tested. The orderly nature of the craft of weaving is reflected in the developing designs of the artworks. She is satisfied by rhythmic and uniform repetition – where each element of a composition is changed in a methodical progression.

The Shuttle Series:

Weaving, Technology, Space The Shuttle Series, a new body of large scale woven textile artworks by Margo Selby, is inspired by the intricate nature of the circuit boards and woven wire used in technology. The narrative parallels the woven threads of textiles and the wired connections of circuit boards and electrical engineering. This series follows the artist’s acclaimed ‘moonlanding’ installation at Somerset House, which was created alongside a musical score for 6 strings written by Helen Caddick. It tells the story of the women weavers who were involved in the making of the memory core and circuit boards for the Apollo 11, which in 1969 successfully landed on the moon. Through precise, graphic compositions and flowing colour transitions, the work explores the synergy between art, craftsmanship and engineering, considering the ways in which woven structures can create both functionality and visual stimulation. Colour is always central to Margo Selby’s work, carefully orchestrating transitions and gradients of colour to conjure the vibrant energy found in space: deep inky sky, celestial objects, and gradients of aurora colour. Complementing the vibrant palette, the graphic patterns are deliberately designed to resemble interwoven elements. These create a sense of layer and depth, echoing the intricate structure of both traditional weaving and electrical circuit boards. Woven in British wool and cotton, the series embraces the tactile warmth of natural fibres while maintaining a sharp, structured aesthetic reminiscent of the organised nature of wires within technology and engineering. These sculptural works invite viewers to reflect on the interwoven nature of art, science, and technology and how threads—whether in fabric or in code—shape the world around us. Note: each work is designed to be viewed in the round, with an ‘Aspect 1’ and ‘Aspect 2’.

Margo Selby pursued her studies at Chelsea College of Art & Design and the Royal College of Art in London, with an additional term at the prestigious Atelier National d’Art in Paris. She now teaches across various institutions and runs her own studio, where she leads specialist weaving workshops. In 2020, she was awarded the Crafts Council’s Collect Open Award for her monumental textile installation Vexillum at Somerset House, followed by the esteemed Turner Medal in 2021, recognizing her as “Britain’s Greatest Colourist.” That same year, she delivered the Turner Lecture, offering a personal insight into her creative practice. Her work was featured widely throughout 2022, with appearances at major applied arts and craft fairs including Collect, London Craft Week, and the London Art Fair. In 2023, Selby exhibited at Art Miami, the British Art Fair, and once again at Collect. This year, she will present her acclaimed piece Moon Landing within the historic setting of Canterbury Cathedral.

Margo Selby is represented internationally by Cynthia Corbett Gallery

Margo Selby | UK