The Australian Tapestry Workshop is thrilled to announce the winners for the 2021 Kate Derum and Irene Davies Awards for Small Tapestries, celebrating excellence and creativity in contemporary tapestry.

Winner of the Kate Derum Award for Small Tapestries 2021:

Louise Martin, 'A forgotten day remembered' 2021

Louise Martin is an accomplished tapestry weaver who uses her technical skills in a highly personal, creative way. At the loom she works spontaneously allowing her experience and memory of place to flow through the weft into the woven structure. As a result, the shaped tapestry is subtle in colour and texture, strong in form and composition, embodying her sense of place. - Emeritus Professor Valerie Kirk, award judge.

Winner of the Irene Davies Award for Small Tapestries 2021:

Constanza del Pilar Guerrero Morales, 'Hace tuto guagua' 2020

‘Hace tuto guagua’, demonstrates the deep immersion in ideas and techniques required to produce an outstanding tapestry. It conveys the intense feelings of being a mother at home with her baby during the Covid 19 pandemic. The strong black lines and figures contained in the house express the restrictions, lack of contact with the outside world and oppressive daily grind. Stepping to define shapes, half pass technique and the shaped tapestry form produce a graphic image with a sense of strength and resilience. - Emeritus Professor Valerie Kirk, award judge.

Kate Derum Award Highly Commended: 
Blake Griffiths, 'National Emblem Reconstructed (Emu Square)' 2019

Kate Derum Award Commended: 
Ann Naustdal, 'The Forest Floor' 2021

Kate Derum Award Commended:
Rolands Krutovs, 'How much does the universe weigh?' 2021

Kate Derum Award Commended: 
Caron Penney, 'Grid 9x9_1' 2021

Irene Davies Emerging Artist Award Highly Commended: 
Manjari Murugesan, 'Butt print' 2021

Irene Davies Emerging Artist Award Highly Commended: 
Lee Leibrandt, 'A New World' 2021

This year 53 finalists were selected for the $5,000 Kate Derum Award representing 15 countries, and 22 finalists selected for the $1,000 Irene Davies Award, representing 10 countries.  The winners were selected by a panel including Emeritus Professor Valerie Kirk, Former Head of Textiles, School of Art & Design, Australian National University and Tapestry Weaver, John Young AM, artist, and Antonia Syme AM, Director of the Australian Tapestry Workshop.

VIEW THE CATALOGUE OF ALL THE FINALISTS HERE

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD
This year you will be able to vote for your favourite finalist online, we are excited to announce two new awards, the $500 Kate Derum People’s Choice Award, and the $500 Irene Davies People’s Choice Award. Voting closes on 16 December at 5pm AEDT.

Kate Derum Award Finalists
Anne-Elise Angas (UK), Patricia Armour (NZ), Anet Brusgaard (DNK), Chris Cochius (AUS), David Cochrane (UK), Cresside Collette (AUS), Amy Cornall (AUS), Melanie Cros (FRA), Rosemary Crosthwaite (AUS), Ilona Demecs (AUS), Marie Drury (NZ), Jilly Edwards (UK), Annika Ekdahl (SWE), Molly Elkind (USA), Jane Freear-Wyld (UK), Mariana Ortega Gonzalez (MEX), Saffron Lily Gordon (AUS), Timothy Gresham (AUS), Blake Griffiths (AUS), Birgitta Hallberg (DNK), Alice Hannigan (UK), Rachel Hine (AUS), Benthe Ibsen (DNK), Caroline Johnston (AUS), Margaret Jones (UK) , Dimity Kidston (AUS), Joan Korn (AUS), Rolands Krutovs (LVA), Charmaine Muscat Kvalic (AUS), Sara Lindsay (AUS), Karl Logge (ITA), Ruth Manning (USA), Lindsey Marshall (UK), Louise Martin (UK), Ewa Mazus Bartosz (POL), Ulrikka Mokdad (DNK), Ann Naustdal (NOR), Tea Okropiridze (USA), Eleonóra Pasqualetti (HUN), Lynne Peebles (AUS), Caron Penney (UK), Caroline Phillips (AUS), Dr. Shubhankar Ray (IND), Britt Salt (AUS), Pat Scholz (AUS), Jennifer Sharpe (AUS), Joy Smith (AUS), Kathy Spoering (USA), Cheryl Thornton (AUS), Kathe Todd-Hooker (USA), Anton Veenstra (AUS), Sue Weil (USA), Hanna Zabudska (UKR)

Irene Davies Emerging Artist Award
Pip Barrington (AUS), Ghislaine Bazir (FRA), Sofia Billett (UK), Joanne Briffett (UK), Gaye Britt (AUS), Melanie Cobham (AUS/URY), Anahita Diba (AUS), Allie Dudley (USA), Leah Emery (AUS), Mónica Noemí Jiménez García (MEX), Mary Jones (USA), Bridget Lane (UK), Nico Larsen (USA), Lee Leibrandt (AUS), Cristina Mariani (ITA), Misako Nakahira (JPN), Constanza Del Pilar Guerrero Morales (CHL), Carolyn Mount (CAN), Manjari Murugesan (IND), David Pearce (AUS), José M. Pérez S. (CHL), Priyanka Yadav (IND). Nico Larsen (USA) was selected as a finalist but her tapestry did not arrive in time to be judged for the award.
 

The Kate Derum Award for Small Tapestries honours Kate Derum and her significant contribution to tapestry as an artist, weaver, teacher, mentor and former Deputy Director/Studio Manager of the ATW. Generously supported by Susan Morgan, the award is open to all professional Australian and International tapestry artists. The Irene Davies Emerging Artist Award for Small Tapestries was established to support early-career weavers in the first five years of their tapestry practice. Alayne and Alan Davies generously support the award, in memory of their mother Irene Davies, a tapestry enthusiast and avid supporter of the ATW. ⁠