Textiles student Harriet Silverson, along with classmate Alice Clubb, has been awarded a Framework Knitters bursary for yarn for her final collection – and Harriet is going to create a series of playful samples that explore the crossover of art, emotion, and knitted textile design.

Harriet says:

“I have chosen to incorporate playful imaginary characters into my project because I enjoy being able to assign emotions and personalities to objects. I have been known (on many occasions) to take a tin of googly eyes from my bag to stick them to inanimate objects in public to create faces and personalities. It has always amused me, but it is also very wholesome, leaving a face for someone else to stumble upon to make them smile long after I have left the scene.

“Characters are often used to tell stories and relay messages. I intend to use these characters to raise mental health awareness and to help remove the stigma associated with it. The accessories will help to start a conversation and will hopefully even be reassuring to reach for in new or difficult situations. My research has found that many adults feel a soft toy has helped to fight their loneliness, anxieties, and low self-esteem.”

Find out about studying Textiles Design with Business Studies BA(Hons) at the University of Brighton.

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