Love and memory stitched into new textile exhibition at Sunny Bank Mills

Sunny Bank Mill

A new exhibition exploring the emotional connections between textiles, memories and human relationships has opened at Sunny Bank Mills in West Yorkshire.

For the Love of Textiles brings together contemporary artworks, personal keepsakes and rarely displayed archival pieces examining love through family, grief, creativity and community.

The exhibition looks beyond romantic relationships and explores how textiles can hold personal stories and lasting connections through objects people make, wear and treasure.

Visitors can see a collection including handmade quilts, childhood keepsakes, knitted football jerseys and historic items that have not previously been displayed publicly. A collection of wedding outfits forms a central part of the exhibition.

Anna Turzynski said, “I love this exhibition. Mainly because it has been a labour of love, pulling in favours from neighbours, friends and colleagues to create the centrepiece collection of wedding outfits.”

She added, “I hope visitors to the exhibition will find a way into the concept of love and textiles being entangled, either through the time taken over a 12ft x 13ft quilt, the sight of someone’s childhood toy or the delight of a knitted football jersey.”

The exhibition also features a contribution from Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange, known as Leeds GATE, including a wedding dress and bridesmaid outfit contributed by a member and her family.

Rachel Trafford said the display offered an opportunity to present an aspect of Gypsy and Traveller culture through the voices of community members themselves.

She said, “We hope people can see these dresses for what they are, treasured items that represent personal and beautiful memories of love and family.”

Contemporary embroidery artist Nicole Chui is also among the featured contributors.

Chui said, “My work as an embroidery artist is about more than just technique. It’s about making room for the beautiful mess of raw expression and embracing lived experiences through the form of embroidery.”

The exhibition runs until 28 June at the Gallery in Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley and admission is free.