I have been weaving, in some form or another, for the last eight years. Beginning with sculptural, amorphous pieces designed to cluster on the floor or hang from the ceiling, I progressed slowly into classical tapestry weaving and eventually to rug weaving.
A concern with simplicity and form pervades all my woven work, as well as a strong sense of place. How my work functions in the space around it is key, as well as the arrangement of space within it.
The time consuming nature of weaving necessitates brevity. I am always seeking to communicate as much as possible with the simplest of forms; it is a continual process of to stripping things down to their essence.
Christabel Balfour is an artist and tapestry weaver, living and working in East London. She studied at Camberwell College of Art and the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art.
Since graduating in 2013, she has developed a practice as a tapestry weaver, and set up her studio in 2015. She specialises in rugs and woven wall-hangings.
Images by Toby Mitchell