Jacky Puzey
Jacky’s inspiration is often rooted in the collision of the natural and the manmade – urban foxes are as likely to find their way into her designs as the leopards of Mumbai. She particularly enjoys tracing the symbolism of animal, flower and pattern motifs across cultures – such as the fact that Koi carp were once kept in Japanese villages to keep the waterways clean as well as being highly ornamental, “They symbolise endeavour, perseverance and overcoming troubles, featuring on Hanten firemen’s jackets as protective motifs, for example.”
Jacky Puzey originally trained in Fine Art working in installation, photography and later costume and pattern-cutting. In 2014, she completed her PhD in Fashion, Textiles and Visual Culture at Bath Spa University where she honed her skills in digital embroidery and tailoring. She also received funding from Arts Council England to produce a collaborative theatrical project, Shade, which focused on fashion, dress and food as a cultural exchange.
Jacky uses lavish textiles combined with digital embroidery to create her distinctive imagery and design signature. The animal kingdom is a constant source of inspiration for her with designs that include foxes, ravens, hares, koi carp, parakeets and peacocks. However, there is nothing twee about the scenes that she creates – while her work may reference 19th-century allegorical still life paintings, it also speaks of contemporary, urban themes.
Jacky has received several prizes and accolades, including the Hand and Lock Prize for Embroidery 2015 and being selected for the Crafts Council’s national Hothouse business development scheme. She has been commissioned by the NoMad Hotel in London, the Rosewood Villa Magna in Madrid, HBO for ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘House of the Dragon’, leading interior design studios and private collectors worldwide.
Her current collection includes statement cocktail chairs and screens, as well as intricate, embroidered wallpapers.
All photography by Jo Hounsome.
