mathew harris

Matthew Harris (b. 1966, Kent) lives and works in Stroud, Gloucestershire. He studied at Hereford School of Art and Goldsmiths College, and has exhibited widely across the UK, Europe, the US, and Japan. His work is held in major public collections including the Crafts Council, The Whitworth (UK), and the International Quilt Museum (USA).

Harris creates abstract works in paper and cloth that explore colour, texture, and rhythm. His process merges painting and textile techniques through layering, cutting, and reconfiguring materials like painted cotton, muslin, and Japanese mulberry paper. Bound with waxed linen thread, the works evolve through excavation—revealing, shifting, and re-burying fragments.

Much like jazz improvisation, Harris’ method retains echoes of original forms while allowing for continual reinvention. His meditative practice of making and unmaking embraces both material and image, often resulting in series that reimagine a single source in multiple variations.