Winnie Sowter
Textiles BA Hons
Edinburgh College of Art
Specialisms: Textiles - Mixed Media / Installation/Sculpture /
Location: London, United Kingdom
Winnie Sowter
First Name: Winnie
Last Name: Sowter
Specialisms: Textiles - Mixed Media / Installation/Sculpture
Sectors:
My Location: London, United Kingdom
University / College: Edinburgh College of Art
Course / Program Title: Textiles BA Hons
About
I am a textile designer focused on creating tactile work that promotes mindfulness, emotional grounding, and meaningful connection. Collaboration is central to my practice, and I enjoy working closely with communities to co-create textiles that reflect their experiences, needs, and voices. My designs aim to support emotional well-being and creative therapies, helping transform everyday spaces into calm, inclusive environments. My recent project, Tactile Connections, is rooted in the belief that textiles can offer more than just function or decoration. They can foster emotional connection, support well-being, and bring people together through shared making. What began as a personal interest in texture and touch evolved into a collaborative, community-led process that deepened my understanding of the social and therapeutic potential of textiles. This experience reinforced my commitment to designing with care, empathy, and intention, placing touch, slowness, and shared creativity at the heart of my work.
Tactile Connections is a community-led textile project exploring the power of touch in supporting emotional well-being. Many of us instinctively reach for comforting textures to soothe and regulate our nervous systems. Rooted in this natural response, the project celebrates how tactile engagement can reduce stress, foster connection, and support emotional regulation. Formed in collaboration with Lucky Ewe, a charity that supports people with additional needs and mental health challenges, the project developed through a series of hands-on workshops. Participants explored textures, materials, and colours that felt grounding or meaningful, weaving personal insights into a collective design. The final outcome is an installation for Lucky Ewe’s indoor community space. The soft, sculptural forms double as playful seating, encouraging intuitive, full-body interaction and creating space for rest, reflection, and connection. Featuring group-selected textures and a co-created colour palette, the work directly reflects the community it was made for. Tactile Connections is more than an installation, but an ongoing process of care, creativity, and emotional engagement. It brings together research, slow making, and lived experience to show how textiles can support emotional well-being in both shared spaces and everyday life.
