Karina Wiles

Karina is a textile and mixed media artist based in Yorkshire. Her tactile art works are both inspired by and reflective of nature’s textures, shapes and colours. Although a multi-disciplined artist, her love of textures led her to the heritage craft of rag rug making. Inspired by the storytelling work of Heather Richie and the Reeth, Swaledale exhibition, her love of this craft opened her path to more contemporary creations. After dislocating her wrist in 2018, she began introducing more upcycled and locally sourced naturally dyed yarns and lightweight fabrics for hooking. This not only enabled her to place more detail within her wildlife artworks but meant less stress on her wrist than using heavier weight and tougher fabrics.

“I stem from a long ancestral lineage of makers and creators and was fortunate enough to be taught many crafts when I was young. Being part of the ‘make do and mend’ generation, rag rugging sits perfectly with the ethos of upcycling and recycling. I’m also passionate about pushing the boundaries to show others that this often misrepresented craft of ‘what granny used to do’ can be a magical exploration into the realms of the contemporary in so many different ways”