Grace Holden
Design For Textiles BA Hons
Heriot Watt University
Specialisms: Textiles - Print
Location: Galashiels, United Kingdom
Grace Holden
First Name: Grace
Last Name: Holden
Specialisms: Textiles - Print
Sectors:
My Location: Galashiels, United Kingdom
University / College: Heriot Watt University
Course / Program Title: Design For Textiles BA Hons
About
4th year Design for Textiles student specialising in print at Heriot-Watt University.
As a textile designer, my work is driven by narrative and the belief that textiles can hold meaning beyond surface decoration. I am particularly inspired by the relationship between storytelling and interiors, creating designs that foster emotional connection and comfort within a space. My project, Stories in Bloom, explores ideas of belonging and memory through layered visual narratives inspired by nature and personal experience. This project explores what makes a house feel like a home through the lens of my experiences across different stages of life: adulthood, adolescence, and childhood. I am especially fascinated by Victorian floriography, in which flowers were used to convey emotions and unspoken messages through symbolic meaning. Alongside this, I draw on the concept of biophilia, exploring how nature can positively influence emotional and psychological well-being through aesthetic connection. These layered references allow each design to communicate its own story while contributing to the wider narrative of the collection. It is important to draw inspiration from wider references beyond art alone. Hand painting and drawing sit at the core of my creative process and form the foundation of all my designs. I work across a variety of painting styles, ranging from expressive, intuitive mark-making to delicate, refined detailing, enabling me to create richly layered surfaces with a personal and human quality. This approach is reflected throughout the collection, where varying colour palettes, drawing techniques, and compositions represent different emotional stages and experiences. In an increasingly digital design industry, maintaining a handcrafted process is important to me because it brings authenticity, individuality, and emotional depth that cannot be replicated by digital methods alone. What makes Stories in Bloom distinctive is its balance between aesthetic beauty and conceptual depth. Each piece carries subtle narratives and hidden symbolism, encouraging viewers to form their own emotional connection with the work.
Competitions
