Interviewing Artist Chloe Amy Avery: Stitching Together Meals & Memories

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Meet Chloe Amy Avery.

Everyone who has moved away has probably heard or felt the old home sick phrase ‘there’s no place like home’. Wherever you end up, the nostalgia of your upbringing always creeps into your mind like the sweet scent of crispy bacon creeping into your room in the morning. Artist Chloe Amy Avery has threaded together a perfect blend of all these feelings with her deliciously clever embroidery of traditionally British eats. We had the pleasure of displaying Chloe’s work in her first solo exhibition at the Genesis Cinema gallery. Here’s what she had to say about her incredible embroidery paintings:

What was your biggest inspiration when creating the pieces that we featured for this show?

Whilst I lived in the Netherlands for three years with my husband and two boys, we found food one of the things we really missed about home. We of course missed family and friends, but the familiar tastes, flavours and packaging of food became sorely missed, soon after moving to Amsterdam from London. It was this that had me thinking about how food is so much connected with memory, nostalgia and culture, we all have such a different food story. I love to draw, I love food, so I thought why not try using thread as a medium and combine the things I love and am interested in.

Can you give us a glimpse into your process?

I have developed a process that I know works for me in my creative process. Depending on the 

piece I’m working on will vary the process. For my bigger plates s of food I cook the dish, compose the food for the correct photo, and then take many photos to capture the food in its best light and composition. The other approach I take is to make a coloured sketch for a photo I have taken or a combination of photos to create the best image ready to stitch.

I then draw up a very basic sketch on to my fabric, basic being the key so I can change anything as I go, I like to continually critique my work and adjust it as I work.

Are there any artists/styles/periods that have inspired your work?

My biggest inspiration is the eighties. I love the colours, the bold shapes, and the use of pattern. The eighties is my childhood, so full of nostalgia. I love the work of Bridget Riley and new artist Lakwena, with their use of colour and shape and the scale of their pieces

What’s your favourite thing to do outside making art?

I have to be creative if I’m not creating art I love to cook with my husband and I love to draw with my boys. If I’m with my family I’m happy.

What made you say yes to exhibiting with Dark Yellow Dot?

Dark Yellow Dot, like myself is fairly new. They approached me to exhibit in a space that I was very familiar with. I was just at a stage where I wanted to start showing my work publicly and Dark yellow Dot provided me with the perfect opportunity.

View this post on Instagram

Flashback to this mad photo shoot of my Funfair Foods collection. I loved making these pieces. (Especially the candy floss! All those shades of pink!). I'm going to be putting some patterns in shop soon – starting with this Hotdog. Watch this space!

A post shared by Chloe Amy Avery (@chloe.amy.avery) on May 13, 2020 at 8:46am PDT

Do you have any other projects coming up next?

Im always thinking of new ideas and yet there is not enough time to do them all. My next big focus is on raw food. The key to the next project will be about composition. I’m always excited to start new projects.

Where else can we find your artwork either online and in person?

You can find my work on Instagram @Chloe.Amy.Avery I also have a website coming soon so keep an eye out on my Instagram page.

More from Chloe Amy Avery

Follow Chloe on Instagram @chloe.amy.avery. To see Chloe’s work in person, visit her solo exhibition entitled A Taste Of Home which will be on display from January 19th – February 19th, 2018 at the Genesis Cinema Gallery. The Genesis Gallery partners with Dark Yellow Dot to showcase local visual artists at the early stages of their career. Check out our current exhibitions.

Do you have art to share?

We’re on a featuring frenzy over on Instagram! We feature new artists everyday on @DarkYellowDot, so give us a follow and tag your art posts with #darkyellowdot and remember to join our MailGang to keep an eye out for new posts and opportunities for artists like you.