Collection: Ptolemy Mann

Ptolemy Mann is a British artist known for her pioneering work in textile art. Her career began after graduating from Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art in 1997. Over the past 25 years, Mann has developed a distinctive style characterized by her mastery of hand-dyeing and weaving, combined with a deep exploration of colour theory. Her recent shift to integrating painting with weaving has resulted in a series of Thread Paintings that challenge traditional boundaries and offer a fresh perspective on both art forms.

Mann’s work has been exhibited internationally, and she has been commissioned for site-specific installations, including a notable project at Tate Modern Gallery. Represented by galleries in Geneva, Munich, and the USA, Mann continues to influence and inspire through her innovative approach to art.

Dovecot Studios is delighted to present British artist Ptolemy Mann as she returns to Scotland with her exhibition featuring her magnificent handwoven rugs and ground-breaking, vibrant Thread Paintings along-side paintings on paper and canvas.

Over the past 30 years, Mann has built a reputation for her extraordinary approach to textile art which marries the intricate techniques of hand-weaving with vibrant, expressive painting. Her work is renowned for its precision and depth, reflecting a profound understanding of colour theory and design.

Mann dyes the long warps of thread and then weaves them, embedding colour into the cloth itself. Using an upright Dobby she creates carefully stretched, two dimensional panels that bring dynamic colour and geometric form to interior spaces. Her designs are inspired by colour theory and are reminiscent of the Bauhaus school where colours vibrate next to one another. Her rugs, known as ‘Gelims’ are designed by her and hand dyed and woven in India using an Ikat technique, where the weft thread of the rug is dip dyed to create a gently feathered transition between colours. With her new Thread Paintings, shown in Scotland for the first time, Mann takes her expertise to new heights by applying acrylic paint directly onto her hand dyed and woven artworks. This process results in a striking visual dialogue between the textured, linear quality of the weave and the fluid, gestural marks of the paint.