Gina Pierce

Gina Pierce

Dr Gina Pierce is a Senior Lecturer on BA Textiles, BA Fashion Textiles and in Critical Contextual Studies. She is research active within the School of Art, Architecture & Design, and a member of the CREATURE Research Group.

Biography

Gina has an MA in Textile Design from Central Saint Martins and a practice based PhD from the University for the Creative Arts, Farnham. She is a fellow of the Higher Education Authority.

From 2005-2014 she was the course leader of BA Textile Design at the School of Art, Architecture & Design at London Metropolitan University, and was previously a lecturer in Textiles, Drawing, and Colour Studies at London Guildhall University.

Throughout her career, Gina has combined teaching with her practice as a textile designer, specialising in printed fabrics. After completing a Higher Diploma from the London College of Furniture she practised as an interior designer, working on retail and office design projects. She then moved into commercial textile design for fashion, furnishings and bedding. In her own practice as Gina Pierce Design, she has desgiend and produced fabrics and wallpapers to commission, selling and exhibiting in the US and UK.

Gina's current research practice aims to introduce wider audiences to archive collections through creative practice. She is an organiser of The Tangible Archive Symposium, held at the School of AAD and Special Collections, December 2023.

Teaching

Gina is a Senior Lecturer on the BA (Hons) Textiles and BA (Hons) Fashion Textiles, and on Critical Contextual Studies for AAD.

Contact Gina

Email	g.pierce@londonmet.ac.uk
Website	ginapiercedesign.co.uk

Research Interests

Gina’s practice based PhD, 'Opening Up the Textile and Mixed Archive: Using the Parker Knoll Collection as a Case Study' (supervisors Profs Lesley Millar, Simon Olding and Dr Gail Baxter) explored creativity inspired by archival artefacts.The activity of responding through making offers an insight into archive collections for those outside of academia.

Her practice has continued the concept of taking the archive beyond the museum in exhibitions, workshops and lectures. Gina regularly exhibits her textile artwork, and has shown in the UK, Paris, Japan. Most recently she was invited to participate in the Northern Irish Linen Biennale.

She is a member of the CREATURE Research Group, and participant in Making Matters annual group exhibition.

Publications

Linen Biennale (2023) https://www.linenbiennalenorthernireland.com/about
Making Matters (2022) Wash Houses, London Metropolitan University
Tansa, Threads of Influence (2021) group show, Craft Study Centre, Farnham and GalleryGallery, Kyoto, Japan I Can See it Now Papier, a Fleur de Peau (2019) group show, Salon de l’Hotel de Ville
The Big Blanket (2017) community making of 50 blankets and performance piece for Crisis at Christmas https://vimeo.com/246272464
The Fabric of the City (2015) Exhibition and Symposium on use of archives and the textile legacy of the immigrant (LMU).
(2017) ‘The Fabric of the City, Archive Textiles Inspire Collaboration’,
INTERSECTIONS: Collaborations in Textile Design Research (Loughborough University London)
(2010) 1000 Artisan Textiles, Quayside Publishing Group, Painting in Wall Design, Liaoning Science and Technology Publishing House
(2009) Digital Textile Design by Melanie Bowles and Ceri Isaac, Laurence King Publishing (Digital design featured)

Grants, funding and awards

External grants from the Arts Council and The Textile Society, Professional Development Award.

Professional activities

External Examiner, 2017-2021, University of Kent, BA and Foundation Degree, Fashion and Textiles
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy 2002
Member of The Textile Society, European Textile Network and Fibre Arts USA.