Edinburgh based artist Jo Barker brings the historic craft of tapestry together with the form and feel of abstract painting. Jo graduated with First Class Honours Degree in Design in Tapestry with Printmaking from Edinburgh College of Art in 1985. In 2016 she was awarded the prestigious Cordis Prize for Tapestry, and her work is held in collections including those of National Museums Scotland, the Victoria & Albert Museum London, and the House of Lords.
The initial design and development stage is critical to the creation of each of Jo’s works. She begins with collage or spontaneous watercolour, acrylic or ink studies, which are then scanned and altered digitally to enhance light, shadow and depth. With a focus on the emotional impact of colour, she then translates her designs into woven tapestry, bringing a vivid combination of threads together to create seemingly painted and scribbled marks in a rich palette of colours and powerful shapes.