“Scraps of thread and fabric are stitched and pulled into fairy tale creatures looking for new owners and worlds to inhabit. Finch works alone and makes everything himself by hand in a studio full of books, glass jars and naughty cats.”
Objects in nature are clearly a fascinating subject, whether because as children we looked for fairies in the garden, under toadstools and brush, or because as adults we are intrigued by things that represented our foraging and nostalgic times as children. Mister Finch transforms these beauties of nature into sculptures, works of art, enchanting and delightful. He has a dexterity and talent with fabric that comes from a place deeper than that, which can be taught.
“I have no formal training in anything to do with textiles or sewing and apart from a short art course I did many years ago I’ve learnt all I know myself.”
Mister Finch creations come into existence from a love of fabric and a deep belief in magic, openness to other forces at work and the possibilities that this belief holds. Perhaps too because of this, he has managed to create charming and playful designs that captivate the imagination and gently remind us of our connection to Earth. Moss and fungi, moths, burrowed and feathered creatures feature predominately throughout his artwork.
Inspired by Flowers, insects and birds and their life cycles, extraordinary nests and behaviour, Mister Finch begins to sew their story. What I find particularly beautiful and moving is that he often uses vintage fabrics, materials that hold their own narrative. These fabrics become their own record keepers of history that are then harmonized into the heart of Mister Finch’s creations. I wonder if this is what draws me so deeply into the work, a longing and sentimentality for my own childhood. A desire to return to nature, to a time when we lived in another reality. A world you could lose yourself in and as Mister Finch says, “Storytelling creatures for people who are also a little lost, found and forgotten…”
I couldn’t agree more.
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