Nikkita Morgan is an Irish mixed media textile artist based in Edinburgh. She predominantly works in her studio using a diverse range of art, design & craft methods: primarily creating artwork that responds to historic and contemporary political, cultural and environmental issues. Alongside her creative practice, she teaches textile & embroidery workshops for school, college and university students, and community groups nationally.
Nikkita Morgan is an Irish mixed media textile artist based in Edinburgh. She predominantly works in her studio using a diverse range of art, design & craft methods: primarily creating artwork that responds to historic and contemporary political, cultural and environmental issues. Alongside her creative practice, she teaches textile & embroidery workshops for school, college and university students, and community groups nationally.
Colour, stitch, texture, research, imagery and text are key elements used within the designing and making of her work: analysing and combining historic techniques with contemporary design ideas to create unique textile artworks. She uses needlework to capture intricate stories: emblematically unravelling and re-working aspects of religious, political and cultural issues.
Her current studio work focuses on the incompetent Tory government and the unpredictability’s and uncertainties of Brexit.
Education
2013-14 | Masters Degree in Textile Design | Norwich University of the Arts | Norwich
2010-13 | BA (Hons) Degree in Textile, Art, Design & Craft | University of Wales: Trinity Saint David: Coleg Sir Gar | Carmarthen
2009-10 | Foundation diploma in Art & Design | Southern Regional College | Newry
Grants/Awards
2021 | Practice Support Fund Edinburgh | Creative Edinburgh/EPAD
2021 | Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers | Creative Scotland
2020 | a-n Artist Bursary recipient | Time Space Money | The Artists Information Company
2020 | VACMA | Edinburgh Craft Makers Award | Edinburgh City Council & Creative Scotland
2020 | Highly Commended for series of works | Annual Awards for Art About Big Global Issues or Concerns | Redline Artworks | Also attained in 2017, 2018 & 2019
2019 | Support for the individual artist programme | Arts Council of NI | (recalled – unable to undertake my collaborative international residency before March 2021 due to Covid restrictions)
2019 | Norfolk Arts Project Fund | Norfolk County Council
2019 | a-n Artist Bursary recipient | supporting self-determined professional development grant | The Artists Information Company
2018 | Artist of the month | Axisweb
2017 | Travel Award | Arts Council of NI
2016 | NI Young Artist of the Year Runner-up | Mid And East Antrim Council
2015 | Grants | Norfolk Arts Project Fund – Norfolk County Council | Ideastap Wrap-Up Fund Brief | Split Infinitive Trust
2014 | The Eaton Fund
2013 | Arts and Humanities Research Council Award (AHRC)
2013 | Shortlisted for the Textile Study Group Graduate of the Year Award | New Designers | London
2013 | Textile Student of the Year Award | University of Wales Trinity Saint David: Coleg Sir Gar
Residencies
International Artists in Residence Programme: Artsland, Fermanagh & Omagh District Council [December 2018, May & September 2019]
Guest Studio Residency Programme: The Art Cube Artists’ Studio’s, Jerusalem [Feb 2017]
Artist-in-Residence: George Watson College, Edinburgh [Aug 2016 - Aug 2017]
Gallery Artist-in-Residence: St.Margaret’s House Gallery 1, Edinburgh [Aug 2016]
Textile Artist-in-Residence: Edinburgh College of Art: Edinburgh [Sep 2015 - Aug 2016]
My residencies have involved teaching roles within educational & community settings both collectively and independently.
Commissions
Production of a community, collaborative banner/flag for Perth museum | “Damn Rebel Bitches” | I will be working with the local community in creating a large-scale collaborative textile banner that will be placed in the new museum in Perth in 2024 | Perth and Kinross Council, together with Culture Perth and Kinross | Oct 2022 – Dec 2023
Production of a community, collaborative textile artwork for Inverkeithing’s Town House | “Inverkeithing stitching in Time” | I worked with the local community groups in creating a large-scale collaborative textile artwork for Inverkeithing’s historic town house | Fife Historic Buildings Trust on behalf of Fife Council | May 2021 - Feb 2022
Community arts commission | “Voices for Equity” | Shetland Islands Council on behalf of the Shetland Partnership | Dec 2019 – June 2020
Private commission | Embroidered learning aid “Sampler” | Art Department, George Watsons College | Edinburgh | 2017
Campaign banner commission | Designed & constructed a campaign banner for the Educational Institute of Scotland | commissioned by the Joint Union Liaison Committee at Edinburgh University | 2016
Environmental collaborative commission | Worked with local artists and scientists from the University of East Angelina to design & construct a 3D info graphic sculpture that represented the storm surge damage surrounding the Norfolk coast | University of East Angelina | 2015
Selected Exhibitions
2022
Contemporary Textiles Exhibition: Fronteer Gallery: Sheffield
2021
Winter Open Exhibition 2021: The Art Cohort: Bath
2019
Divergent: Anteros Gallery: Norwich (supported by Norfolk County Council)
Open Studio Exhibition: Aughakillymaude Mummers Centre
Anna Cheyne Biennial Award 2019 Exhibition: Island Arts Centre: Lisburn
Between Lands: Whitespace Gallery: Edinburgh
1 FT SQ Art Exhibition: Strule Arts Centre, Omagh & Blaney Yoga Centre, Fermanagh
2018
Brexit Respond… (Interactive Exhibition): Roots Gallery, Edinburgh (Solo)
2017
Éire Intransition: St. Margaret's House Gallery 2, Edinburgh [Gallery In-Kind Support] (Solo)
A-I-R Exhibition: George Watson College, Edinburgh
Guest Studio Residency Exhibition: Art Cube Artist's Studio's, Jerusalem (Solo)
2016
Materials, Meaning & Messages: R-Space Gallery, Lisburn, Co.Down
The SSA 119th annual exhibition, The Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
NSK Folk Art Rising 1916-2016: Burren College of Art, Co,Clare
A-I-R 15/16 Exhibition: Tent Gallery & St. Margaret's House Gallery 1, Edinburgh
NI Young Artist of the Year Finalists Exhibition: The Braid Arts Centre, Ballymena
2015
One Year On: Stew Gallery, Norwich. Supported by Norfolk County Council
Summer Salon 2015: Islington Art Factory, London
Rising Stars 2015 exhibition: New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham
Professional Experience (Workshops\Projects\Commissions)
Lead Textile Artist | Co-design and facilitate a craft-based programme of workshops with the unpaid women’s work squad | OneRen | Paisley | Sep 2022 – Current
Research Assistant | The Needlework Development Scheme (NDS) | Touches Stitches Heritage Project | University of Edinburgh | Jun 2017 – 2022
Artist Workshop | Children’s bunting-making summer project | Ballast Bank, Inverkeithing | July-August 2022
Art Tutor | Animation week | 8-12 year olds | The Art Club Edinburgh | July 2022
Visiting Lecturer | Creative Journey Presentation | Textiles Department | Edinburgh College of Art | Jan 2022
Lead Artist | Co-coordinating, organising & curating group exhibitions in Edinburgh & Norwich | Between Lands | Divergent | A-I-R 15/16 | One Year On] | 2015 – 2020
Artist Talk | Global Arts in the Emergency | Redline Artworks | online | July 2020
Online Artist Workshop | Repeat pattern design workshop for school students | Network for East Anglian Collaborative Outreach (NEACO) | Norfolk | May 2020
Visiting Lecturer | Embroidery Elective | Political and sociality issues through stitch workshops | Edinburgh College of Art | Feb – Mar 2020
Guest Lecturer Tour | Artist Talks & Embroidery Workshops for disadvantaged students at various schools and colleges around Norfolk | helping to promote University education within the Creative Arts | Organisation: Network for East Anglian Collaborative Outreach (NEACO) | Norfolk | January 2018 – October 2019
Workshop Assistant | 100 Years Women’s Vote Banner making workshops | Taught embroidery skills to female’s at Cornton Vale Prison and student and staff members at the University of Edinburgh | Processions | Artichoke | February – June 2018
Workshop Teacher | Taught a series of textile & embroidery workshops for children aged 7-12 online via Art+798’s online software | Art+798 International Art Education Center | China | 2015 – 2018
Textile Art Community Project | Bethlehem | I ran a 2-week textile project, teaching a selection of embroidery skills to groups of children and women | Project supported by The Arts Council NI Travel Award Scheme | 2017
Artist Talk ‘Conflicting Textiles’ [part of my Guest Studio Residency Programme] | Art Cube Artist’s Studio’s | Jerusalem | Feb 2017
Artist Talk | Materials, Meaning & Messages Exhibition | R-Space | Lisburn | 2016
Artist Talk| Glasgow Artist Guild | Saramago Café | Glasgow | 2016
Artist Talk’s | Meet Your Maker | Maklab | Glasgow / Artist Presentation | Edinburgh College of Art / Guest lecturer | Paston Sixth Form College | 2015
Artist workshop and volunteer for the Arts Recovery Program | working with vulnerable adults | Norfolk | Certificates in Challenging behaviour and Safeguarding of vulnerable adults | 2015
Other Professional Training\Experience\Projects
Collaborative textile project | Global Irish textile artists contributed a patch to form a larger St. Brigid’s quilt/cloak to be exhibited in Dublin in Feb 2023 | Irish Department of Foreign Affairs | Nov 2022
Undertook a 3 day Metal Thread Work ‘Queen’s Silk embroidery course | Royal School of Needlework | Glasgow | June 2019
Waveney & Blyth Arts exhibition planning & management course | Symposium team, helped curate and organise the art sculpture trail | Bungay | 2015
Dialogues 2014 | Space, Place and Negotiated Territories | Symposium Team, part of the selection panel who co-ordinated, curated and organised this exhibition & conference | Norwich University of the Arts | 2014
Selected Publications
Case Study | Nikkita Morgan | Inverkeithing Stitching In Time | Stitching Together | https://stitchingtogether.net/2022/03/22/case-study-nikkita-morgan-inverkeithing-stitching-in-time/ | 2022
Artist Interview | Art Reveal Magazine no.58 | page 44-49 | https://issuu.com/artrevealmagazine/docs/58 | April 2021
Artist Feature | Art & Politics | http://www.redlineartworks.org/section652294_361328.html | 2018
Artist Interview | Art Reveal Magazine | 22nd Issue | page 76-81 | http://www.artrevealmagazine.com/22nd-issue/ | 2016
An Interview with Nikkita Morgan | Art Habens Art Review 5th Edition | page 92-113 | http://issuu.com/arthabens/docs/art_habens_art_review_specialed.201 | 2015
Professional Memberships
The Society for Embroidered Work [S.E.W]
