P003 → William Morris Society [2020-2021]

William Morris: Wallpaper Man was an exhibition of new work by the Storybox Collective created in collaboration with the William Morris Society throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The William Morris Society was founded in 1955 to make the life, work and ideas of William Morris (1834-96) better known.  Morris was a revolutionary force in Victorian Britain: his work as an artist, designer, craftsman, writer and socialist dramatically changed the fashions and ideologies of the era.  The Society’s purpose is to share the knowledge of the life and works of William Morris amongst its members and the wider public. They do this through publications, events, education programme, library and exhibitions of work by and relating to Morris

The work presented in William Morris: Wallpaper Man was inspired by the cultural and political legacy of William Morris and curated under the themes of Protest, Innovation and Craft. From the printmaker and her four-year-old daughter foraging for oak galls to make natural dyes, to a project using artificial intelligence to generate new Morris-inspired patterns, the exhibition showcased a rich diversity of creative responses. These works underscored the enduring relevance of Morris’s ideals and artistic vision.

“Everyone at the Society has been impressed by the calibre of talent and skill that the Storybox Collective have brought to this project. It has been particularly interesting seeing the different aspects of Morris that have ‘spoken’ to each maker. The range of pieces very much reflects Morris’ polymathic character—from printing to textiles, politics to ceramics—it has been so impressive to see the artists take inspiration from Morris. It has been a privilege to be involved in this project and to be a part of introducing Morris to this new generation of creatives and getting to see their engagement with and understanding of Morris’ works and character.   

The artworks have been situated well within Morris’ legacy and shown that his work and ideas remain as important today as they were in his lifetime. We are delighted to be sharing these extraordinary pieces with you and in the wise words of Morris; “History has remembered the kings and warrior, because they destroyed; art has remembered the people, because they created.” 

Mallory Horrill
Curator of Collections & Exhibitions
The William Morris Society

Exhibition 01:
William Morris Wallpaper Man
10 October - 24 July 2021

The Storybox Collective
Kelmscott House Storybox: Collective Fragments
2020
Etched perspex with mixed media

Anna German
‘May Morris’
Lampshade

Patrick Thomas
Indigo Willow Bough
Limited edition silkscreen prints

Faan Peeti
‘Untitled’
Flip book and animation

Izzi Thexton
To Do Nothing
Quilt

Maisie Noble and Ben Lee
The Talisman Stacking Project
Bank of digital modular artefact templates

Maisie Noble and Ben Lee
‘Dodo’
Prototype

Marta Cubeddu
‘Untitled’
Zine and organic wool

Marta Cubeddu
‘Untitled’
Zine and organic wool

Julia Buckley
Morris and the Blue Vat
“I am taking in dyeing at every pore…”
Indigo dye vat and experiments

Ilaria Antolini
Harmony Collection
Garments and prints

Izzi Lombardo
‘Untitled’
Repurposed objects series and book

Mónica Arroyo Berezowsky
“Colibri”
Embroidered textile

Leonardo Russo, Amy Turnbull and Joseph Montagu
Artistic Dress 2020 [The William Morris Tracksuit]
Photography by @naomimadigan

Brandon Pestano
‘The Romanticist's Nightmare'
Original poem accompanied by long lost historical archive footage

Tabassum Aktar
‘Untitled’

“I made three discoveries during my research: the possibility of human error in a product is important to the value of it; creativity is an essential part of mental health; skilled work produces more intellectually and emotionally flourishing people. Removing elements from instructions coerces people to use their own imagination to replace the missing words” Tabassum Aktar

Mar Rubio Coderch and Sol Rubio King
3 Furoshikis From South London
Nettle leaves. Oak Galls. Dock roots

Mar Rubio Coderch and Sol Rubio King
3 Furoshikis From South London
Nettle leaves. Oak Galls. Dock roots

Chloe Hulse
‘Untitled’
Wooden blocks, chiselled typeface
and embossed paper

Jack Niblett
‘Albion’ typeface

Martine Aamodt Hess and
Nora Marie Vatland
Morris was right then and he is right now:
‘Capitalism is ugly’
Zine with Morris wallpaper

Dionne Kitching
Imagining Utopia
Risograph with soy based inks

Annie Yonkers
Hope in the in-between: or, a manifesto for hope for an uncertain future.
Letterpress pamphlet printed on Morris’s
Albion press

Sadie Cook
Beautiful/Useful
Home made flag

Sadie Cook
Beautiful/Useful
Home made flag

Matt Hams
The Wandle
Animation

Ella Chedburn
“machines can do everything - except make works of art.”
GAN generated 100 new William Morris artworks

Ella Chedburn
“machines can do everything - except make works of art.”
GAN generated 100 new William Morris artworks

Cecily Loveys Jervoise
‘Untitled’
Devon clay ceramics

‘These foraged clay ceramics are emblematic of my exclusive use of foraged natural or copious waste materials. This ecological outlook aims to repair a disconnect with nature and acts as a personal cathartic practice to process the undoing of the planet in the climate emergency.’

Ioanna Stergiaki
‘The importance of traditional craftsmanship and how the role of an upholsterer in 2020 has been affected by the modern furniture industry’
Essay and pamphlet

Zakia Carpenter Hall
‘The Flower Lectures’
Poetry series

Exhibition 02:
William Morris Wallpaper Man at NMBH

24 June - 24 July 2021

Not My Beautiful House [NMBH], established in 2021, was a creative meeting place where Kingston University students, alumni, and local artists exhibited their work within the local community. Situated in the heart of Kingston, the space served both as a marketplace and as a gallery, offering a platform for the display and sale of art and design while fostering connections between makers and their audiences. With the easing of lockdown restrictions in 2021 The Storybox Collective were able to move from online curation of the William Morris Wallpaper Man exhibition to a dual exhibition at both Kelmscott House in Hammersmith and at NMBH in Kingston. The work at NMBH was extended to include student work from postgraduate students at Kingston School of Art made in response to the William Morris Nature Boy in-curricular project brief alongside work from members of The Storybox Collective.

Exploring the William Morris Wallpaper Man exhibition at Not My Beautiful House.
Below:Private view illustration with imagery from Farah Nehme.

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