Heidi Flaxman

 

Heidi Flaxman is a textiles artist based in Somerset. She holds an MA in Design from the University of the West of England. Her practice has been created through a passion for the sciences, craft, and sustainability.  Heidi describes an affinity to the landscape which was born from a childhood growing up within the industrial landscape of Cornwall. 

 

Recent artworks have explored copper mining in Cornwall and the wool trade in Stroud, both of which are a direct result of the local geology. Her work is inspired by cartography, topography, and geology. When viewing the artwork, hidden ‘under-lands’ are exposed and brought to the surface to show the story of the land's industrial heritage. 

 

By exploring the geological identity of a region Heidi seeks to understand the landscape in unanticipated ways. She uses modern digital fabrication and the traditional craft skills of tapestry weaving. The combination of these working methods creates balance within the practice between hard lines and organic patterns. 

 

For To Form, to Follow, Heidi has created work that explores the specific geology of the area local to Scunthorpe and its influence on the development of the steel industry. Petrology samples of ironstone from the area of Santon display the complex ‘makeup’ of the minerals which made industry possible. 

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Find more of her work at https://www.heidiflaxman.co.uk