Coinciding with Dovecot’s exhibition, Mid-Century Modern: Art & Design from Conran to Quant, this display titled Pinboard: Postcards from Edinburgh featured on the Tapestry Studio Viewing Balcony. An ongoing project, these pieces rekindle Lees’ relationship with her home city, while also celebrating Scotland’s mid-century architectural gems.

Laura Lees says, “I’m from Edinburgh, renowned for the medieval and neoclassical architecture you usually see on tourist postcards, but I’m drawn to its modernist buildings such as the Royal Commonwealth Pool. I am delighted to be displaying these works at Dovecot Studios to highlight the fantastic mid-century modern architecture of Edinburgh and to see my work in the context of a leading tapestry studio.”

A contemporary take on the traditional Austrian style. This circular embroidered room was commissioned by Waldo Works for a private residence in Austria. Freehand machine embroidery and appliqué.

In collaboration with designers Brady Williams, Laura translated their designs into freehand machine embroidered and upholstered wall panels (a steady hand for over 3 kilometres of embroidery). Based on the Indian art deco style and praised by Vogue, this fine and precise embroidery hangs beautifully in the Brigadiers in central London.

Photography - Mark Scott

Laura was commissioned by Established & Sons to translate, using freehand machine embroidery, designs by Barcelona-based artist Albert Tercero into four 2x4 meter banners. These banners were part of Established and Sons presentation for their new collection this year.

Private commission - City Reflections.

Drawing inspiration from Joris Luyendijk’s book “Swimming with Sharks” Laura explores the ‘smoke and mirrors’ architectural language of finance by descending on what must be the least understood environment in the UK: the City of London..

Freehand machine embroidery and applique in Kvadrat fabric. Daybed base made by Uncommon Projects.

Photographs by Åsa Westerlund

Air Vent #1. Project for Sebastian Wrong and The Wrong Shop. Traditionally woven trompe l’oeil air vent.

Guadalupe–Daybed is inspired by The New Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico. Fascinated by the graphical shapes and colour combinations of the stained glass windows, Bethan
Laura Wood has designed a daybed for dreaming, for taking time to let your imagination float away into the mesmeric embroidery made in collaboration with Laura Lees. 

Commissioned by Kvadrat for the
Divina exhibition at Salone del Mobile Milan, 2014

Designed by Bethan Laura Wood
in collaboration with Laura Lees for Kvadrat
Photography: Fernando Laposse

Starting from my initial, rather flippant, reference to love with collaborator Emile from Another Brand, for the Wallpaper Handmade X project we looked at the film 'The Abominable Dr Phibes', a picture about obsessive love, had discussions about concrete, pub mirrors, council estates, neoclassical architecture and the hidden beauty of everyday objects. This, in turn got me looking at images from the film 'The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant', Werner Fassbinder's story of unrequited love, full of drama and the tedium of rejection. 

The process of understanding how our discussion about etching, various styles of architecture, industrial design and film references became a narrative about love was a challenge, however, something must have resonated.

The class, race and gender divide and the timeless nature of love throughout history is represented by the bricks and mortar of the very buildings where we set up home and live out our relationships. The pub and its mirrors, the place throughout the ages, where we go to meet love, get away from love, talk about our love. The combination of the beauty as well as the banality of love through the ordinary day to day, going to work, doing the washing etc. The drama of waiting for the phone to ring and the eventual repetitive nature of waiting for that call, is incapsulated in the figure of Petra in cross hatched metal.

All of these reflect all of us, across the board.

#design #lauralees #themightystitch #anotherbranduk #wallpaperhandmade #wallpapermagazine #milandesignweek #salonedelmobile #milanfurniturefair #designcollaboration #creativity 
#love