Wednesday 17 June 2026, 3 - 4pm BST: Meet Jorie Johnson
Online Talk with Jorie Johnson
Wednesday 17 June 2026, 3 - 4pm BST (British Summer Time)
Johnson will begin with a reflection on her long and unexpected life in Kyoto, Japan, often described as the eastern terminus of the Silk Road. From there, she traces her journey westward to her first encounter with three-dimensional felt in the 1980s, at what she fondly calls the far end of the Silk, or Wool, Road. As an exchange student at an art institute in Kuopio, Finland, she discovered Scandinavian boot-making during an intensive three-day workshop, an experience that shaped the course of her practice.
Since then, Johnson has become an international advocate for feltmaking, sharing both its histories and its contemporary possibilities. In this talk, she invites participants of all levels to explore the strategies, material understanding and artistic vision she has developed over decades of study and making.
Drawing on close analysis of historical and indigenous felt traditions across Asia, alongside research in museum collections in Europe and the Americas, Johnson situates her work within a global lineage. She describes herself, with characteristic wit, as a ‘Contemporary No-MAD’, rooted in tradition while continually moving across cultures, ideas and forms.
Reflecting on the transformation of felt from tribal and nomadic utility to contemporary artistic expression, she considers the particular freedom the medium offers today’s makers. At once ancient and adaptable, wool continues to sustain communities, industries and artists alike, a fibre carrying both memory and possibility into the future.
Johnson will also be running an online workshop, Feltmaking on Saturday 24 & 31 October 2026, 1 - 4pm BST. To book your place, visit our website HERE.
Location
This is an online event. A Zoom link will be sent to participants the week before the workshop.
Recording
This event will be recorded, and a link to the recording will be emailed to all participants. Please allow 7 working days for us to send you the recording.
Cancellation Policy
All places reserved for online events are non-refundable.
If you require additional information about this workshop please contact [email protected].
Visit Jorie Johnson
Follow Jorie Johnson
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Description
Online Talk with Jorie Johnson
Wednesday 17 June 2026, 3 - 4pm BST (British Summer Time)
Johnson will begin with a reflection on her long and unexpected life in Kyoto, Japan, often described as the eastern terminus of the Silk Road. From there, she traces her journey westward to her first encounter with three-dimensional felt in the 1980s, at what she fondly calls the far end of the Silk, or Wool, Road. As an exchange student at an art institute in Kuopio, Finland, she discovered Scandinavian boot-making during an intensive three-day workshop, an experience that shaped the course of her practice.
Since then, Johnson has become an international advocate for feltmaking, sharing both its histories and its contemporary possibilities. In this talk, she invites participants of all levels to explore the strategies, material understanding and artistic vision she has developed over decades of study and making.
Drawing on close analysis of historical and indigenous felt traditions across Asia, alongside research in museum collections in Europe and the Americas, Johnson situates her work within a global lineage. She describes herself, with characteristic wit, as a ‘Contemporary No-MAD’, rooted in tradition while continually moving across cultures, ideas and forms.
Reflecting on the transformation of felt from tribal and nomadic utility to contemporary artistic expression, she considers the particular freedom the medium offers today’s makers. At once ancient and adaptable, wool continues to sustain communities, industries and artists alike, a fibre carrying both memory and possibility into the future.
Johnson will also be running an online workshop, Feltmaking on Saturday 24 & 31 October 2026, 1 - 4pm BST. To book your place, visit our website HERE.
Location
This is an online event. A Zoom link will be sent to participants the week before the workshop.
Recording
This event will be recorded, and a link to the recording will be emailed to all participants. Please allow 7 working days for us to send you the recording.
Cancellation Policy
All places reserved for online events are non-refundable.
If you require additional information about this workshop please contact [email protected].
Visit Jorie Johnson
Follow Jorie Johnson
