McVetis’ practice is deeply rooted in process, and intrinsic to this is hand embroidery. He records time and space through multiples of dots, lines, and crosses. These meticulously rendered stitches reflect a preoccupation with the repetitive nature of process. McVetis explores the subtle differences that emerge through ritualistic and habitual making. These inscribed stitches mark
McVetis’ practice is deeply rooted in process, and intrinsic to this is hand embroidery. He records time and space through multiples of dots, lines, and crosses. These meticulously rendered stitches reflect a preoccupation with the repetitive nature of process. McVetis explores the subtle differences that emerge through ritualistic and habitual making. These inscribed stitches mark the hand’s rhythms, a delicate performance of obsessive intricacy, refinement, and gesture. They record human presence, time and decay, each stitch or line acting as a marker for lived time, an embodiment of thought and patience. These physical, tactile, and repetitive modes of creation allow him the time to see and think, to occupy a space.
His works have the premise of being created during a predetermined or durational period; this lends the work a performance quality, although executed in private. However, these enforced restrictions of time and location mean that the work is subject to chance; in this way, he is but one of the variables contributing to the work. Drawing as an act is occurs in everything that McVetis creates. Drawing as a dialogue, a focus that goes beyond the flat surface and into the space around.
EDUCATION
MA Constructed Textiles - The Royal College of Art - 2006 < 08
BA (HONS) Embroidery - Manchester Metropolitan University - 2002 < 05
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2022
Richard McVetis: Shaped by Time - Crafts Study Centre - Farnham - UK
Conversations - The 62 Group - Lymington - UK
2021
Definitions of Drawing - Sunny Bank Mills - Leeds UK
Connected Cloth - The 62 Group / The British Textile Biennial - The Whitaker - UK
?Monochrome - Ruthin Craft Centre - Wales - UK
2020
Of Time and Place - Living Object - London - UK
25 Years - Danielle Arnaud Gallery - London - UK
Ten - Unit Twelve - Stafford, UK.
2019
RE-NEW - Kettles Yard + Toast - Cambridge, UK
David Gates: In Dialogue - Make Hauser & Wirth - Somerset, UK
COS - Series IV - Coal Drops Yard - London, UK
Construct - The 62 Group - Sunny Bank Mills - Leeds, UK
The Future of Craft - London Craft Week - Oxo Tower - London, UK
Crafting New Perspectives - Culturesphere - Gmund Büttenpapierfabrik - Germany
Future Icons - London Art Fair - UK.
Retail Space - Seventeen Galley - London, UK.
2018
Loewe Craft Prize - The Design Museum - London, UK.
British Craft Pavilion - London Design Fair - London, UK.
Stitch - Daniel Raphael - London, UK.
Is It Useful? - Unit Twelve - Stafford, UK.
Monochrome - Bluecoat Display Centre - Liverpool, UK.
5x10 - Rolfe Judd Architects - London, UK.
The Uppermost Layer - Jaggedart - London, UK
2017
Craft Forms - Wayne Art Center - USA.
Make_Shift - Collyer Bristow Gallery - London, UK.
Form + Motion - UK Pavilion - British Council & Crafts Council - Cheongju International Craft Biennale - South Korea
Drawing Open - No Format Gallery - London, UK.
Real to Reel: The Craft Film Festival - Crafts Council - Picture House Central - London, UK.
Three100 - No Format Gallery - London, UK.
Collect: The International Art Fair for Contemporary Objects - Crafts Council - Saatchi Gallery - London, UK.
Jerwood Drawing Prize - Turnpike Art Centre - Leigh & The Gallery - Poole, UK.
The Thread Unraveled - V.M. Gallery - Karachi, Pakistan.
2016
White Show - Clotsworthy House Art Centre - Northern Ireland.
Jerwood Drawing Prize - Jerwood Space - London, UK.
Making Space - The 62 Group of Textile Artists - Macclesfield, UK.
Hand / Work - Bílskúrsgallerý - Icelandic Textile Center - Blönduós, Iceland.
Excellence in Fibre - USA
Craft Forms - Exhibition of Contemporary Fine Craft - Wayne Art Center - USA.
2015
Craft Forms - Exhibition of Contemporary Fine Craft - Wayne Art Center - USA.
Cheongju International Craft Biennale - South Korea.
White Show - Flow Gallery - London, UK.
Meticulous Stitchers - Unit 12 - Stafford, UK.
Craft Forms - Exhibition of Contemporary Fine Craft - Wayne Art Center - USA.
2014
Microtopia - Kingsgate Gallery - London, UK.
The Geometrics - Slow Textiles Group Show - Textiles Hub London, UK.
2011
Jerwood Drawing Prize - Jerwood Space - London, UK
AWARDS
The Cockpit Arts / Newby Trust Craft Excellence Awards 2019
Loewe Craft Prize - Finalist - 2018
Collect Open - Crafts Council - Selected Artist - 2017
Jerwood Drawing Prize - Finalist - 2016
West Dean Tapestry Commission - Long listed Artist - 2016
Resident Artist - Textilsetur Islands - Blonduos - Iceland 2016
Cheongju International Craft Competition - Finalist - 2015
Jurors Award - Craft Forms - Wayne Art Center - 2015
Jerwood Drawing Prize - Finalist - 2011
Embroiderers Guild Scholar - 2006/07
COLLECTIONS
?Huddersfield Art Gallery - Acquired through the Contemporary Art Society - Omega Fund - January 2022
Private Collections
?
TALKS
Definitions of Drawing - Panel discussion with curator Courtney Spencer - Leeds - October - 2021
The Potential of Stitch - The Textile Society - October 2021
The Skill of Narrative & Stitched Textiles - Key note - Fashion & Textiles Museum - London - Jan 2021
Possibilities of Fibre Art - Organised by Tai Ping & chaired by Grant Gibson - London - March 2020
Textile Artists in Conversation - Raystitch - London - May 2019
Crafts Council - Home and Abroad - Panel discussion - Collect - Saatchi Gallery - London - Jan 2017
Embroiderers Guild - Various Locations - 2006 to present
Inspiring the Future - Various Locations - March 2016 to present
LISTEN
Making Meaning - Ruth Singer Podcast - July 2021
Pursuit of Beauty, In Stitches - Presented by Amber Butchart - BBC Radio 4 - November 2018
Rial Talk - Materials Podcast by Anna Ploszajski - August 2018
PUBLICATIONS
Textile Travels - Anne Kelly - October 2020
Thread Contemporary Embroidered Art - Thames & Hudson - November 2019
De Fil en Aiguille - Embroidery Art - Publication by Pyramyd Editions - November 2018
Dimensional Cloth - Andra Standton - August 2018
Textile Landscapes - Cas Holmes
Hand Stitch Perspectives - Alice Kettles & Jane McKeating - Bloomsbury Press 2012
COMMISSIONS / PROJECTS
Crafts Council x Toast - Renewal - April 2021
Store Store x Barbican - London Craft Week - October 2020
ReDesign Business - Virtual Festival - Workshop - September 2020
Late at Tate Britain - Tate Collective - August 2020
Institute of Making - UCL - London, UK - 2018 / 2020
Mulberry - Take Root Branch Out - May 2020
COS - November 2019
Toast - Re NEW - October 2019
Cheltenham Science Festival - Make Shack - June 2019
Rolfe Judd Architect - October 2018
The Big Draw - Jerwood Visual Arts - Jerwood Space - London, UK - Oct 2016
PRESS
Labour of Love - Interview by Craig Mclean for Hole & Corner - January 2022
Toast Magazine - Reviving and Reinventing - May 2021
Tatter Journal - The Vastness of Minutia - May 2021
Embroidery Magazine - My Space - March / April 2020
Turnball & Asser - Off the Cuff - September 2020
Interview - Jamie Chalmers (Mr X Stitch) - July 2020
TOAST x Kettles Yard - November 2019
TOAST Magazine - RE-NEW at Kettles Yard - October 2019
Korean Craft + Design Foundation - Special Feature - July 2019
Evening Standard - Gallery Walls - March 2019
Wilma Journal - December Distilled - December 2018
Textile Artist - From Concept to Creation - Nov 2017
Uppercase Magazine - Making Time - Oct 2017
Wearables Magazine - Inspiration - June 2017
Embroidery Magazine - Making Time - May/ June 2017
Textile Artist - Creating texture and pattern with Stitch - April 2017
Crafts Magazine - Collect Guide - Open to ideas by Imogen Greenhalgh - Feb 2017
House & Garden - Preview the talent at Collect - Jan 2017
Inspirations Magazine - Issue 91 - Sept 2016
Embroidery Magazine - Sept/Oct 2016
UK Handmade Magazine - Interview with Zoe Gilbertson - Sept 2016
Stitch Journal - Rendering with needle a thread - Aug 2016
Booooooom - Art Blog - 2016
Excellence in Fibers - Fiber Arts Now 2015
House & Garden - Buying Art Dec 2015
Inspirational - Nov 2015
Embroidery Magazine - Nov/Dec 2015
Flow Gallery - Interview - Sept 2015
Crafts Magazine - July/August 2005
Embroidery Magazine - 2005/06
MEMBER
The 62 Group of Textile Artists
Future Icons
TEACHING
The Royal College of Art - Visiting Lecturer - Textiles - March 2018 - present
Raystitch - London,UK - 2012 to Present
West Dean
New Designers - Mentor - 2021/22
