Joanne Wheeler

Joanne Wheeler's textile works are a brilliant array of interwoven colour, myth and pattern. The intricate vibrancy – achieved via the centuries-old technique of punch needle embroidery – brings Celtic design into its fantastical contemporary best. These works are incredibly bright and floral: the colours pop and the tufted yarn pirouettes. The curvilinear and ambiguous forms beloved of Celtic design, featuring flora and fauna in a decorative medley, define them. 

Even when made on a smaller scale they pack a punch: hanging on the wall their folky, playful vortex of line, shape and tone draw the eye to a vital focal point. Joanne is a contemporary artist combining innovative design with traditional stitching technique, like Alice Kettle: previous British Textile Artist of the Year and professor at Joanne’s alma mater, Manchester Metropolitan University. 

Punch needle embroidery is a technique centuries, maybe millennia old. It has remained popular and can take on many different looks: ancient or modern. Instead of stitching through the fabric, punch needle pushes thread or yarn into the fabric, while keeping the needle on the surface.