Hannah Kelly BA (Hons) Textiles in Practice 2020

Hinterland

Hinterland is an exploration into the undefinable space. A Hinterland is a place of in-between – neither wholly manmade nor natural. Although defined in multiple ways, it’s clear that a hinterland (coming from German ‘hinter’ meaning ‘behind’, and land: behind-land) is a place that is undefinable. It’s not one thing or another. It’s an area that’s beyond what’s definable or known, and man-made gardens and orangeries have always had this feeling of otherness from the outside world. Inspired by gardens in both Marrakech and Scotland, and using a mixed media illustrative approach, I have created small worlds within my illustrations that invite the viewer into this place of ‘other’, whilst exploring the textures, patterns and colours within. My collection of mixed media illustrations is geared toward large scale interior use -I’ve used them to create a collection of mural wallpapers that emulate the idea of being invited into these ‘hinterland’ worlds. My process focusses on colour and shape, using oil pastels, pencil and gouache layered with intricate collage pieces to create my A0 collage illustrations.

My practice focuses on large scale illustration and mixed media design for social spaces - whether that be in public or private settings. A large part of my identity as a practitioner involves making art accessible - whether this means using tactile elements to create a mural that is accessible for visually impaired people, creating art for public spaces, or running a programme of textile workshops for visually impaired children, making art available to all is what pulls my practice together.