The Maker
Barbara KealMaker In Focus
01 April - 20 May 2012
“Imagine the world bustling with creatures: foxes, badgers, enormous hares, expressive rams and the odd minotaur, not to mention all the beasts you can't name...... Become a beast!”
Barbara Keal works from her riverside studio in Lewes, East Sussex felting fleeces that are donated by local farmers including wool, alpaca and many other fibres. Barbara studied sculpture on a BA (Hons) Fine Art degree at the Wimbledon School of Art in 2003. After showing her fantastical handmade hats at Origin 2010 and 2011, she has been constantly making hats for individuals, leading boutiques and costumiers. Her work has featured in Omer Asim’s Winter Collection 2011, the ‘Telegraph’ November 2011 and even BBC’s ‘Once Upon a Time: Little Red Riding Hood’ in 2010. Barbara has also worked on a variety of performance based projects involving and influenced by diverse methods and concepts which include felt, ceramics, song and the role of the individual as part of a group.
Barbara’s hats have a transformative effect on the wearer, something which is she is very interested in. Once you put one on, you become an everyday live art work within the public arena. You become another person to fulfill Barbara’s dream to reach as many people as possible and form a unique global community of creatures!
