Artist statement
Concepts Exhibiting nationally and internationally Ainsley’s research investigates the physical and metaphorical construction of cloth and its relation to body, memory and space. Exploring a range of media, Ainsley combines traditional weaving with audio-visual technologies, print and photography to create site-specific installations.
Influences
Weaving, New technologies, Haptic, Phenomenology.
Career path
June 2000 received a BA First Class Hons in Constructed Textiles from Middlesex University, London. Selected to receive the James Pantyedwen Scholarship in 2000 and 2001 enabling postgraduate study at Curtin University, Australia. January 2003 graduated with Master of Arts, Visual Arts.
Continued to exhibit up until present day both nationally and internationally, solo exhibitions include 'Parallax' at the Fremantle Art Centre, 2004 and 'Traces' a Textile/Audio Installation at the Mission Gallery, Swansea.
Ainsley is currently a lecturer at Swansea Metropolitan University, teaching Visual Studies on the Surface Pattern Design BA Course and Historical & Contextual Studies Supervisor.
Qualifications and training
- 2003 MA Visual Arts, Curtin University, Australia
- 2000 BA (Hons) Constructed Textiles, Middlesex University, London, UK
Employment
- 2007 Lecturer, Department of Art, Swansea Metropolitan University, Wales
Solo exhibitions
- 2010 Ainsley Hillard - Installation, The Old Laundry, Newton House, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, Wales
- 2008 'Traces' Installation, Mission Gallery, Swansea, Wales
- 2004 Parallax, Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth, Australia
Group exhibitions
- 2011 Re: Prefix Textile Exhibition, Western Australia Museum, Perth, western Australia
- 2011 Kaunas Textile Biennial 2011, National Museum of M.K. Ciulionis, M. Zilinskas Gallery, Kaunas, Lithuania
- 2011 Re: Prefix Textile Exhibition, Hyogo Museum of Art, Japan
- 2011 3rd International Contemporary Textile Art 'Continere', Halle aux Draps, Grand Palace, Tournai, Belgium
- 2010 Warp & Weft, Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Carmarthen, Wales
- 2008 Interspacing, Textile Kultur Haslach, Austria
- 2008 Thread Bare, Manning Regional Art Gallery, NSW, Australia
- 2007 (ex)Changing Tradition, Kyoto Art Centre, Kyoto, Jpan
- 2006 International Textile Art Exhibition 'Scythia 6', Kherson, Kherson, Ukraine
- 2006 (ex)Changing Traditions, Southern Project Studio, Perth, Australia
- 2005 Northern Fibre 6 - (Wo)man & Technology, Kerava Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
- 2005 Textile 05, International Art Exhibition, Zilinskas Art Gallery, Lithuania
- 2004 Homelands, British Isles, Touring Exhibition, FAW
- 2004 Fremantle Print Award, Fremantle Art Centre, Perth, Australia
- 2004 Still Lives, Craft Act Gallery, Canberra, Australia
- 2003 New Technology in Textile and Art Fibre, Textile Museum, Prato, Italy
- 2003 Hatched, PICA (Perth Institute of Contemporary Art), Perth, Australia
- 2003 Fibre Visions, British Isles, Touring Exhibition, FAW
- 2003 Valcellina Award, Coricama, Como, Italy
- 2002 International Textile Biennial, Ormeau Baths Gallery, Ireland
- 2002 SOFA, John Curtin Gallery, Perth, Australia
- 2002 Art from Wales, Beatrice Royal Contemporary Art Gallery, Eastleigh
- 2002 Digital Creativity, Axis online Gallery
- 2002 Talenté 2002, Munich, Germany
- 2001 City of Perth Craft Award, Craftwest Gallery, Perth, Australia
- 2001 Textile Showcase, Beatrice Royal Contemporary Art Galley, Eastleigh
Private commissions
- 2010 Fibre Art Collection, City of Chieri, Italy
- 2003 Textile Traces, Lloyd Cotsen Private Collection, USA
Competitions, prizes and awards
- 2011 First Prize, 3rd International Contemporary Textile Art Competition, Halle aux Draps, Grand Palace, Tournai, Belgium
- 2010 Individual Training Grant, Arts Council of Wales, Wales, UK
- 2007 Individual Project Grant, Arts Council of Wales, Wales
- 2006 1st Prize, Scythia 6 Exhibition, Kherson, Ukraine
- 2006 Fibre/Textile Award, York Society Art & Craft Award, Perth, Australia
- 2004 Shell Fremantle Print Award, Fremantle, Perth, Australia
- 2003 Valcellina Selected Artist Award, Valcellina, Italy
- 2003 VACB Craft Grant, Arts Council of Australia, Australia
- 2000 James Pantyfedwen Scholarship, James Pantyfedwen, Wales
Publications
- 2005 Techno Textiles 2, Ed. M. O'Mahony & S. E. Braddock
- 2004 Fibrearts Design Book 7
