A Visible THREAD is a group exhibition from the contemporary textile collective seam that explores the visibility and invisibility of thread. Thread, as cloth, is woven through our lives. It surrounds us like a second skin. Precisely because of these close connections, it becomes almost invisible to us.

Rooted in craft techniques, work made with thread has historically been seen as ‘women’s work’, private, functional, decorative, and safe. Cloth itself is still considered a gendered material and there’s a gender divide between ‘high’ art and feminised craft. Until recently, thread has been almost invisible as a medium in contemporary art.

A Visible THREAD aims to encourage viewers to rethink their relationship to thread, be aware of its materiality, its sustainability, its possibilities, and limitations. Through a diverse range of textile disciplines and perspectives, this exhibition brings new work from 13 seam artists together to stimulate thought, connection, and conversation.

seam is a contemporary textile collective based in South West England. It is made up of emerging and established embroiderers, printers, knitters, weavers, dyers, fashion designers, eco-designers, makers, artists. The collective is about coming together and supporting each other through sharing knowledge, local opportunities, local production, forging local bonds and sharing their work and love of textiles with others.