I had the pleasure of having a piece from my 'Queer As Folk' fabric collection chosen to be part of the group exhibition 'Hysterical' at Bermondsey Project Space in London, UK. 'Hysterical' celebrates the work of women and marginalized genders as a form of protest. Co-curated by Bee Illustrates and Eliza Hatch, this charity exhibition takes an intersectional feminist approach, featuring a diverse range of artists who address topics such as gender, race, identity, politics, climate change, and feminism.
“Emmally Parsons is a multidisciplinary Romany and Queer textiles artist based in London, UK. Their
artistic journey is a celebration of the unconventional, delving into the weird, the wonderful, and
the often overlooked aspects of society. Parsons' creative process is deeply influenced by their Romany heritage, queer identity,and socio-political issues.
Parsons is dedicated to empowering their community and celebrating the richness of their culture.
Emmally says of their fabric series, Queer As Folk:
"This fabric represents a fusion of my Romany heritage and my queer identity, resulting in a
gender-fluid assembly of art and textiles. The chosen phrase 'craft is the future' is a nod towards
how the fine art world often discards textiles work as 'undervalued', whilst the fashion world
enjoys exploiting it. Throughout the creation of this work, I immersed myself in the rich tapestry of
Romany folklore, traditional textiles craftwork, and the history of the UK queer community. The
fabrics I have crafted aim to illuminate the beautiful contrasts that exist between these two
worlds. My work features abstract reinterpretations of Romany textiles and folklore, allowing
them to intermingle with my reflections on the shared political turbulence experienced by both
the UK LGBTQIA+ and Romany communities. I chose to focus on their underlying similarities, despite
the presence of conflicting opinions, highlighting the strength that emerges from unity.”
BTS of me at the final exhibition alongside my piece, 'CRAFT IS THE FUTURE’, Fabric No. 36 from the 'Queer As Folk' collection, 2021.
'CRAFT IS THE FUTURE’, Fabric No. 36 from the 'Queer As Folk' collection at Bermondsey Project Space, London, UK.
‘CRAFT IS THE FUTURE’, from the 'Queer As Folk' collection at Bermondsey Project Space, London, UK. Featured in BRICKS Magazine, 2024.