Ptolemy Mann: Woven Colour

Dovecot Studios is delighted to present artist, Ptolemy Mann, as she returns to Scotland with her exhibition featuring her magnificent handwoven rugs and groundbreaking, vibrant Thread Paintings alongside paintings on paper and canvas, marking her second solo show at Dovecot. 

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. The exhibition will include over 20 handwoven rugs and Mann’s most recent, new Thread Paintings.

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. 

The upcoming exhibition in Edinburgh will be Mann’s second showcase in Scotland, the first being an exhibition at Dovecot in 2012 Ptolemy Mann: The Architecture of Cloth, Colour and Space. 

Please note that this exhibition is on the tapestry studio viewing balcony and is open for limited hours – Monday to Friday, 12:00 – 15:00 and Saturday, 10:00 – 17:00.

The exhibition will be closed on Saturday 10 May due to a private event. Apologies for any disappointment.