Becky Dodman Wainwright is a multi-disciplinary textile artist and lecturer based in the UK. She draws on her family’s heritage to create personal and colourful abstract pieces that capture a moment in time.

Where are you from and where do you live now.

I was born and live in Devon. My family heritage is a little different. My grandmother was Chinese and my grandfather was from Colombia. My father was born in Malaysia and lived on a tea plantation for five years before his family moved to the UK.

What is your background in textiles?

My grandmother used to live with us and I loved listening to her stories. She taught me how to knit when I was four, and then how to crochet and embroider. It was always a passion, but I went down an academic route and was a youth careers advisor for ten years before I took a degree in Fashion where I specialised in knitwear. I followed this with a teacher training qualification and diploma in machine knitting and started lecturing. I learned tapestry weaving online with Rebecca Mezoff and also completed an MA in Textile Design.

How do you describe your work?

I take people on a creative journey and create a personal tapestry, wall hanging or rug. Celebrating my father’s heritage growing up on a tea plantation I’ve always been interested in tasseography [reading tea leaves] and have incorporated this into my art.

You work closely with your clients, how does the process work?

A client has cup of tea and they choose the signs and symbols of the tea leaves they are drawn too. We cross reference these with 500 illustrations I did relating to tea leaf reading. They then choose colours they relate to. I translate these shapes and colours into an abstract piece either tufted or woven which can be displayed in their home. I love taking people through the process and creating something unique for them that reflects a moment in time but has resonance forever.

How long does this process take?

A tufted rug takes around seven to ten days and a handwoven tapestry can take anywhere between two to six months.

What is your career highlight to date?

I’ve had a few. In between the lockdowns I went through the creative process and made a piece for my grandmother which we both really enjoyed. Having my solo show was a highlight, being featured in Talking Textiles 2020, a publication outside the UK was another. Also the support from the Arts Council has been really helpful.

https://beckydodman.work

https://www.instagram.com/beckydodmandesign/