My Nana’s Cabinet (2025)
“My Nana’s Cabinet” was created on residency at Craven Museum, Yorkshire, in August 2025. The work is a meticulous recreation of the contents of a china cabinet belonging to my grandmother, Joyce Nelson. Drawing upon fragmented memories and interviews with family members, photographs and tangible samples whenever possible to inform the work, I recreated each item in the cabinet in silk fabrics and hand embroidery. “My Nana’s Cabinet” poignantly reflects the fragility of memory and the interpretative nature of our understanding of historical artefacts.
"My Nana's Cabinet" in-situ during the residency at Craven Museum
The work was shown alongside artefacts from the museum collection
A number of audience engagement activities were developed to encourage interaction with the ideas behind the work
"A Cabinet for Yorkshire" where visitors could add drawings and collage from their own memories of collectibles owned by their families
"Cheri's Black Cats" (2025), hand-embroidered silk and other textiles, each is 10.5cm x 7cm x 3cm, £450 for the pair
"Chrissie's Tea Drinkers" (2025), hand embroidered silk and other textiles, 14cm x 15cm x 2cm, £450
"Debbie's Plate" (2025), hand-embroidered and hand-painted silk and other textiles, 27cm x 29cm x 2cm, £450
"Debbie's Queen Anne Teaset" (2025), hand-embroidered and hand-painted silk and other textiles, 29cm x 34.5cm x 3cm, £800
"Grandad's Dray Horse" (2025), hand-embroidered silk and other textiles, 21cm x 41cm x 3cm, £800
"Grandad's Rugby Bill" (2025), hand-embroidered silk and other textiles, 12cm x 14cm x 1.5cm, £150
"Lee's Jubilee Coin" (2025), hand-embroidered and hand-painted silk and other textiles, 11.5cm x 11cm x 1.5cm, £150
"My Charles and Diana Coin" (2025), hand-embroidered and hand-painted silk and other textiles, 10.5cm x 11cm x 2cm, £150
"Mum's Babycham Glasses" (2025), hand-embroidered silk and other textiles, 15.5cm x 21cm x 2cm, £800
"Mum's Jubilee Cups" (2025), handpainted and hand-embroidered silk and other textiles, 12.5cm x 21cm x 3cm, £150
"Mum's Lustre Coffee Set" (2025), hand-embroidered silk and other textiles, 24.5cm x 34.5cm x 2cm, £800
"My Glass Caterpillar" (2025), hand-embroidered and embellished silk and other textiles, 12cm x 22.5cm x 3cm, £800
"Lost Sad Clown" (2025), hand-embroidered silk and other textiles, 21cm x 10cm x 3cm, £450
"My Nana" (2025), blackwork embroidery on linen, 30.5cm x 30.5cm x 2cm (framed), NFS