Over the past 30 years, Mann has built a reputation for her extraordinary approach to textile art art, which marries the intricate techniques of hand-weaving with vibrant, expressive painting. Her work is renowned for its precision and depth, reflecting a profound understanding of colour theory and design.

Mann dyes the long skeins of thread and then weaves them on a loom, embedding colour into the cloth itself. Using an upright Dobby loom she creates carefully stretched, three dimensional panels that bring dynamic colour and geometric form to interior spaces. Her designs are inspired by colour theory and are reminiscent of the Bauhaus school where colours become three dimensional and vibrate next to one another. To create her rugs, known as ‘Gelims’ she uses an Ikat technique, where the weft thread of the rug is dip dyed to create a gently feathered transition between colours. In her latest series, Mann takes this expertise to new heights by applying acrylic paint directly onto her handwoven and hand-dyed cloths.

The upcoming exhibition in Edinburgh will be Mann’s second showcase in Scotland, the first being an exhibition at Dovecot in 2012 Ptolemy Mann: The Architecture of Cloth, Colour and Space.