History...Storytelling...Truth...Accuracy...Proof...Fact...Fiction...Embellishment...

Entertainment...Adventure...Community...Connection...Family...Constructed...

Identity...Imagination...Interpretation...Re-interpretation...Memories...Traces...

Collective memory...Structure...The Written Word...Reliability...Conscious...

Unconscious...Biography...Autobiography...Secrets...Exposure...Power...Drama...

Control...Comfort...Escapism...Experience...Focus 

From an early age, I have been fascinated by books and storytelling.I remember the excitement of a weekly treat, of choosing a book from our local booksellers. For me, reading was a great comfort. I ventured into a world of escapism, where I had a certain amount of control over the adventure.

As an adult, I have not lost this fascination with the written word.

Engaging with a book is a sensory experience. There are the colour of the pages, set against the patterns of the text; the smell and texture of the different papers, bound in a variety of covers; the mustiness of old books, next to the crispness of new editions; the sound of the pages turning as you get deeper into the story.

In my work, I have extensively experimented with traditional tapestry weaving techniques using paper as an alternative medium to the customary wools and threads. I use second-hand books and printed matter, and their built-in history is the attraction for me. The objects already contain traces of the past - fingerprints, skin, dedications, scribbled notes - which offer us a glimpse into their earlier life.

I de-construct the books, cutting them by hand, and make them into new structures, which still contain their original history, but which now have a new visual form.

The visual look is paramount: it is about the pattern of letters, the colour and quality of the paper as it ages, and the edges.

The discovery of how a material can be manipulated - the qualities and possibilities of the paper itself - excites me.

I am intrigued by the memories particular texts hold for us. When stories are told, and continue to be retold through generations, they are not forgotten. They become the memory of who we were.