KLS tapestry displayed at Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum
‘Everybody Champions’ is a series of four community-led tapestries created by KLS Chief Creative Director Adalberto Lonardi in collaboration with our Love to Learn Programme, the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and local four textile artists.
These artworks celebrate the beauty of equality and diversity in tennis, recalling the icons and colours of Wimbledon. Each panel has been designed by combining elements from 40 drawings created by 60 members of KLS during intergenerational workshops. These designs were then assigned to four professional textile artists who lead the production of the pieces by facilitating sewing and embroidery sessions with the local community.
The creation of the first tapestry, titled ‘Hand to Hand’, which is displayed here, was led by a collaboration with KLS sewing tutor Chloe Rochefort. This artwork features a large open hand decorated with multicultural motifs and holding a colourful tennis ball and a larger-than-life tennis racket. The background shows the Wimbledon crowd dressed in eclectic pieces of clothing captivated by an exciting match.
Ten volunteers from KLS helped create the artwork by using a mixture of hand embroidery, patchwork, sewing, stitching, and knitting techniques. The artwork took 70 hours to complete and features a wide range of fabrics from deep purple velvet cotton to green duchess satin and golden silk. Chloe says: “I am always moved by the bond of women who create together and talk about life whilst absorbed in craft activities for hours.”
The project has been funded by the Wimbledon Foundation.
For more information about the artists:
www.adalbertolonardi.com
www.chloerochefort.com