Joy Hall
Joy studied at Sunderland University for a BA in Art and Design, majoring in Textiles. She worked for a Textile/Fashion Designer for eighteen years before becoming self-employed a few years ago.
Working mostly in machine embroidery, creating three dimensional forms, she enjoys the challenge of constructing sculptural pieces. Having to build a structure or skeleton for a piece can often give it a quirky feel. She likes to add a bit of humour to her work.
Joy often incorporates mixed-media into her work, using text, print, wax, metals and found objects to embellish the piece, giving it depth, contrast and texture. She draws from her background of working for a fashion designer to create wearable art with a narrative element.
Inspiration comes from a variety of sources, such as family history, local history, artefacts, found objects, poetry and natural forms. Sometimes Joy works from a single word, which can lead to an intricate and elaborate piece of work with a story to tell.