Rob Jones is a textile artist, who takes his inspiration from Japanese Textiles traditions including Shibori, Katagami stencilling and Sashiko embroidery and Boro. He began his study in 2011 at West Dean on short courses and then undertook an intensive course with Bryan Whitehead in Japan in the autumn of 2014. Rob has been a full time textiles designer and teacher since September 2015. Rob has also studied natural dyeing under Michel Garcia and is a member of the London Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers and the Muswell Hill Creatives. Rob teaches at seven workshop spaces around London and, most recently demonstrated Shibori and Indigo Dyeing at Craft Central on the Isle of Dogs as part of London Craft Week 2018.
Rob's approach to textiles design is to innovate using traditional methods, breaking the tradition in a sympathetic way, either by cutting and re-piecing work or by merging techniques together to create modern versions of them. Rob follows the principles of Wabi Sabi, looking for the beauty in the random effects that are created by certain shibori techniques and Mottainai, the Japanese equivalent of "waste not, want not".
Describe your approach to teaching:
I encourage students to understand the traditional methods and practice that makes for a successful piece and then to reinvent them as something new and personal to them.
What inspires your own work?
Following a recent trip to Japan in search of Katagami stencils, vintage textiles and boro, I am working on pieces that incorporate vintage and modern fabrics and developing my own stencils to incorporate with these.
West Dean College and Gardens are part of a registered charity and relies on the support of generous donors, friends, legacies to help us deliver world-class education in conservation and the creative arts and maintain our award-winning gardens.
