The work of Xuan Yeo and Seb Bradshaw (Studio 5-219) converges on themes of modernisation and industrialisation. Whilst Seb maps the militarisation of rural landscape, and the effects and reactions of the community, Xuan’s intimate focus recovers a family tradition of textile craft that can seem futile in the face of modern industrial techniques.

Xuan’s weavings activate meditative environments that underscore the extreme labour intensiveness of their making. She reconciles Buddhist principles to the repetitive movements of weaving, to expand into a time beyond understanding, a present without a before or an after. The making of her work is anti-productive and anti-expressive: they evoke a meditative labour rooted in her diasporic feminine ancestry, karma, and diasporic land. At once, they annihilate and regenerate, while sustaining an 无我: no-self and 慈悲: compassion. Their production, while echoing the capitalist and excessive nature of modern textile manufacturing, tends towards balance and oblivion.

Seb’s work encompasses drawing, collage, and digital knit. This series explores the Ministry of Defence radar bases on the Isle of South Uist, where the people successfully campaigned against their displacement, and the evacuated archipelago of St Kilda, an ecological heritage site, tourist destination, and abandoned crofting community. Military presences on these sites are often ignored or underplayed, to preserve the romantic rural image of the Isles. Seb weaves the islanders’ religious resistance, and images and interviews with her father (an analyst for the base), into the work, drawing attention not only to the military, but to the human, the familial, and the personal.

The exhibition is accompanied by a small library, left by the artists to share their love of their research material, and to contextualise their work. Visitors are encouraged to look at and enjoy them – but please return them to their places.

About the artists:
Seb Bradshaw’s practice explores human occupation and entangled relationships with land. She is fascinated by the way environments of apparent wilderness are occupied and perceived by humanity. Much of her practise is based in the Outer Hebrides, due to her familial connection, and her interest in the militarisation, spirituality, myth and ecology of the land. She graduated with First Class Honours from Goldsmiths Fine Art and Art History course in 2023, and has shown work at Taigh Chearsabhagh, Islington Arts Factory, The Art Salon and No Format Gallery. Follow Seb on Instagram @artbyseb138

Xuan Yeo is a Singaporean-Malaysian artist based in London. Her work focuses on material origin and matrilineal heritage. Through long, drawn-out processes including weaving and perfumery, she explores karmic cycles and memory. She is influenced by concepts in Mahāyāna Buddhism around compassion and reincarnation, and currently works in bespoke and handmade traditional clothing. She has worked across London and Singapore, with Starch, Barbican Arts Group Trust, Studio Lotusroot and Fitzrovia Gallery. She recently graduated from BA Fine Art and History of Art at Goldsmiths with First Class Honours. For more details visit xuanyeo.com

Xuan and Seb are co-producers of women's textile collective, Silkworm, and have worked with A Particular Reality at Goldsmiths CCA, Constance Howard Gallery and Synonym Lab. Silkworm has upcoming projects with Greenwich Council and APT gallery.

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