Christopher Duncan’s deep wisdom speaks through the weft and warp of his yarns.
Sometimes the message whispers from the antique silk kimono threads. Other times, it appears as textured, abstract shapes. It is a meditation on the importance of detail, the gravity of its focus and the delight that follows it. This collection is a tribute to his grandmothers – each gifted him an elephant figurine at the end of their lives. He worked to capture the sentiment of his matriarchs, through ritualistic weavings that nod to this noble creature.
This latest presentation of merlot reds and royal blues features a new technique that Christopher is pursuing – shot weaving. A “shot” is a single throw of the bobbin that carries the weft thread through the warp. The result is a fabric which is made up of silk woven from warp and weft yarns of two or more colours that produce an iridescent appearance.
Christopher’s sensitivity is part of what makes his work so enduring. Within the pieces, you feel the soul and presence of the maker. While he typically creates works for gallery and exhibitive settings, his scarves are well suited to everyday life. The elephant mementos, woven in thread, become mementos of their own – a small piece of sensitivity to be carried, shared and reinterpreted by each and every wearer.
