Richard McVetis

2021

Coal Seams created for the 2021 British Textile Biennial. The theme of the Biennial focuses on the global context of textiles, textile production, and the relationships it creates historically and now.

The starting point for this work was Coal’s importance in the cotton industrial revolution. It was vital to Lancashire’s dominance of this industry.


Using the intensive labour-process of hand embroidery, ‘Coals Seams’ maps and bring to the surface the underground and hidden landscapes of this elemental material formed over three hundred million years ago. It examines McVetis’ family connection to material, place, class and race; and how, like the seams that shape a garment, Coal continues to shape our lives.

Cotton on wool, hand embroidery, seeding and couching stitch, heat transfer printing.
Archive material original documents

75 x 115cm

research