Preview by Georgia McConnell

Warren Reilly presents his 'Modern Hallows' at The Weavers Factory in Manchester

This year, the Joan Charnley Textile Prize was granted to three young emerging textile graduates from Manchester School of Art, (Hannah Sheldon, Megan Ditchiefld and Warren Reilly). This annual award is named after textile artist and designer, Joan Charnley, patron of the The Weavers Factory. The Weavers Factory is Grade-II listed Factory in Greater Manchester, now a Contemporary Art Gallery with creative workshops.

Warren and the two other winners have been given their own gallery space to plan, curate and display their works. Each of their original designs have been inspired by the archive of Joan Charnley. Their artworks will be on sale. This is a great opportunity to invest in an original Warren Reilly print!

Warren's inspiration for his works comes from a collage made by Joan Charnley depicting a "mysterious and sinister looking church surrounded by a dead wood". Warren describes his own colour scheme of "bold pinks" and "contrasting monochromatic patterns" as inspired by those used in Charnley's own collage.

Like Joan Charnley, Warren also found Medieval British History a source of inspiration for his work. His rectangular card shaped prints are reflective of the aesthetic of tarot card reading. Warren's unique and modern take on tarrot card reading reflects issues within our society today, "projecting clues" of what looms in the future.

Below Warren describes each of his prints, his influence and their symbolism:

Justice - "Inspired by the social and political turmoil being felt across the world through protest groups such as Extinction Rebellion and influential figures such as Greta Thunberg. This is a world ravaged by climate change, environmental disaster and it is clear that we need to change the way we function as society. Inspired by Medieval art and Religious imagery, I wanted to create a card that represented the power we have to make change, but also to represent how our future hangs in the balance."

Photo credit: The Weavers Factory. Print, 7x12cm by Warren Reilly

Death - "Following on from themes of environmental issues, this card is one of hope and despair. It was inspired by a trip walking home from a park in London where I found a beautifully sad parakeet lying dead on the pavement. It was such an unusual site to see such an exotic bird lying lifeless on the ground. Parakeets in the UK (and especially in the urban environment of London) are living proof of environmental adaptation. But can we ourselves adapt to the challenges that may lie ahead?"

The Empty Suit - "Inspired by a Newspaper article about Donald Trump, I came across the term 'Empty-suit' for the first time. This term can be described as “an important or wealthy man regarded as lacking substance, personality, or ability.” With the drastic changes that I have witnessed coming back to London in terms of gentrification and redevelopment, I felt it was an important topic to touch on. Is London becoming a playground for “The Empty Suits”? Or perhaps it has always been this way?

Innocence - "I was horrified when I read the article on knife crime by The Independent, with the headline: Children as young as four among hundreds caught with blades at school. But it made me realise the harsh realities that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds face in this country. I grew up in an area notorious for issues with drug abuse and gang violence, so I have come face to face with these issues from a very young age. I wanted to create a card that shocked people, but also presented a sense of hope and promise."

Illustrious - "Following themes I explored in my final collection “Mood of The Nation” I wanted to continue exploring the social and political questioning of the relevance of the Monarchy in British society. In recent years there has been heated debate and shocking scandals surrounding the Royal Family. These include Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan getting mixed up in environmental and civil contradictions and the most shocking of all, Prince Andrew and his damning links to Jeffrey Epstein. This card recalls the moment when the Unicorn was knocked down from the Buckingham Palace gates by a delivery lorry in October. I thought it was the perfect visual representation of the reputation of the Royal Family at present."

Obsession - "It's an issue that has effected all of us. I myself have found myself locked in a virtual world unable to find a way out, while looking into a straining white screen of social judgment, visual perfection, identity hatred and political anxieties. There are significant studies which have linked our obsession with smart phones and social media to our mental health and well being. I wanted to create a cascading, never-ending technological trompe-l’oeil to represent our never ending hunger for hand-held technology."

Photo credit: The Weavers Factory