Sophie Billingham
Textiles in Practice BA Hons
Manchester School of Art MMU
Specialisms: Textiles - Weave / Textiles - Mixed Media /
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Sophie Billingham
First Name: Sophie
Last Name: Billingham
Specialisms: Textiles - Weave / Textiles - Mixed Media
Sectors:
My Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
University / College: Manchester School of Art MMU
Course / Program Title: Textiles in Practice BA Hons
About
I am a Weave and Mixed-Media Textile artist, interested in exploring how memory and emotion can be translated through craft and tactile mediums. Through texture, repetition and composition, I create layered and considered pieces which resonate on both a sensory and conceptual level, inviting curiosity and connection.
This project looked at the architecture and interiors of stately homes and manor houses, focusing on details like ironwork, wallpaper, curtains, and furnishings. It was influenced by my experience of living in a boarding school set in a country house, meaning much of the work was shaped by memory, atmosphere, and how I perceived these spaces growing up. I approached these environments through the perspective of a young girl, which was represented through in my material choices, especially in my use of gold and pink yarns. I also drew on motifs from my childhood, allowing me to bring a sense of softness and playfulness that contrasted with the formality and grandeur of these interiors. Through my weaving, I experimented with breaking down and reworking traditional tartan structures. By playing with density, scale, and materials, I tried to reflect how memory can feel distorted and fragmented, while also emphasising that heightened, childlike way of seeing. Overall, the project explored how textiles can communicate personal and cultural memory, combining pieces of lived experience with material experimentation. The final outcomes were designed with fashion in mind, supported by illustrations that showed how the woven pieces might exist on the body.
Competitions
TEX+ 2026
This project explores natural, human, and architectural patterns and rhythms, investigating how repeated forms can be translated through colour, woven structure, and material choice to evoke a sense of calm and relaxation. The work is intended to act as a visual reminder of returning to natural rhythms, serving as a resource that encourages feelings of calm and centredness. This is communicated through a body of textiles that combine colour, structure, and texture to create immersive, rhythmic experiences.