Penny Leaver Green

Penny graduated with a BA (Hons) in English and Drama from Exeter University in 1998, later receiving a Postgraduate Theatre Design Award at Motley Theatre Design School/Almeida, London, in 1990. She also attained a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in English and Drama from UCL Institute of Education, London, in 1999. Penny currently lives and works in Bristol, UK.

Penny crafts images from vintage and fine fabrics, exploring various contemporary themes and ideas. In her earlier works, she incorporated associated elements like zips, buckles, and hand-decorated antique fans.

At present, Penny predominantly works with silk, reimagining landscapes from diverse locations that have inspired her, ranging from Wales and the Highlands to Tuscany, Venice, and Japan. As a prolific all-weather walker and photographer in both the UK and Japan, her material montages represent imagined landscapes rooted in her real-life experiences.

With a deep appreciation for Japan and having visited the country multiple times, her latest series explores its traditional seasonal colour combinations. Using kimono linings as a graduated ground to craft landscapes in these colour palettes, she encourages viewers to contemplate their place in the world and their responsibility to engage with the landscapes around them.

By combining organza silk, silk satin, and occasionally the more textured silk crepe, Penny achieves a unique painterly quality through their textural variations. Working intuitively, cutting various elements from these remnants, her compositions arise from the materials themselves without the need for planning or prior sketching. The precision in detailing is so accurate that, when viewed in photographs, they are often mistaken for artworks created in watercolour and ink.

Penny regularly exhibits her work in the UK and has also exhibited in Europe and the United States.

Click here to read 'An interview with Penny Leaver Green'