Hand and Lock 2023 Exhibition and Prize

The Broderers are keen to encourage excellence in the art of embroidery! One way of doing this, is the Broderers Prize at the annual Hand and Lock Exhibition. Targeted specifically at ‘students’, the prize winner is someone who can demonstrate excellent skills, clever use of embroidery techniques, all encapsulated in superb design.

The 2023 prize has been awarded to Emily Barnett. As a student, Emily worked in the tearoom at Chawton House. Famous for being the home of Edward Austen Knight, brother of the even more famous author Jane Austen, who lived in a cottage on the Chawton House estate. Today Chawton House is an internationally known research institution, using its’ extensive collection of women’s literature.

Emily was inspired by the ever-changing gardens and books in the library collection for points of reference. The three-part artwork uses natural products such as raffia as well as silks, 3D parchment paper, tonal canvas work and goldwork to reflect the beauty and richness of the natural world. It took Emily over 1500 hours to create the artwork, with the central piece taking about half of that time.

The pictures show Emily standing in front of her beautiful artwork with her mother and The Warden, together with some close-up images.