Paddy Hartley | Artist

This week has been really special. I’ve had the opportunity to revisit and share with the people of Berwick work I created between 2003 and 2018, exploring the fragmented stories of WW1 servicemen who underwent pioneering facial reconstructive surgery under the care of surgeon Sir Harold Gillies.

It’s been wonderful to see and hear people’s responses to the work, but more importantly, to see them connect with the stories of these men — both through the work itself and in conversations with me.

I haven’t exhibited this work for ten years, so this is a rare opportunity to experience it in person, and to get up close and handle the pieces yourself.

The small selection of embroidered uniforms that forms the heart of Body of Memory @thestrawyardberwick has been exhibited and published widely for more than 20 years. It’s a real privilege to know that individual pieces are now held in the permanent collections of @madmuseum in New York, @nasjonalmuseet in Oslo, @nam_london and @wellcomecollection.

I’ll be in the gallery from 11am–4pm this Friday and Saturday, 16th and 17th October — the final two days of the exhibition. If you’re in Berwick, please come along. I’d love to meet you and share more about the work.

📍 Straw Yard, Berwick Barracks
Parade, Berwick-upon-Tweed
TD15 1DF

#BodyOfMemory #TextileArt #Embroidery #Remembrance #WW1