Grace Gatley

‘Cathedral’ arises from the aching grief of losing a dear friend. Solace from sadness, in the peaceful, meditative act of embroidery. A declaration of enduring faith and hope for something more than the brokenness of this world.

Grace found rest in the calm stillness of Gloucester Cathedral, where jewel-coloured lights refract from medieval stained glass onto ancient stone. Cathedrals were built to stretch to the skies in worship. My embroidery is a form of worship to God who is with her in sorrow and rejoices in her joy.

The idea for this work began at a Barbara Hepworth exhibition, where Grace felt compelled to reimagine Hepworth stringed, sculpted forms with sequin and thread.

Soon after, walking through the Cathedral cloisters, Grace found a resemblance between her embroidery and the decoratively carved fan-vaulted ceilings. Returning to her notes on the exhibition she discovered this quote:

‘My sculpture has often seemed like offering a prayer at moments of great unhappiness. In another age… I would simply have carved cathedrals’.

In response, Grace has created her own wearable ‘sculpture’, draped, cut, and stitched from beautiful silk, and embellished with the fan motifs inspired by both Hepworth and her beloved Cathedral.