Text-isles: Elie Coutts + Cameron Morgan

In the first of two collaborative exhibitions, Elie Coutts + Cameron Morgan are displaying their work at Project Ability from 12 March - 9 April 2022.

Glasgow based arts organisation Project Ability teamed up with Gaada last year to commission a collaboration between Shetland artist, Elie Coutts with Project Ability artist Cameron Morgan.

Elie’s practice oftentimes focuses on embroidery and textiles, which Cameron was keen to explore within his practice. With this foundation in common, Cameron and Elie met regularly through zoom sessions, to get to know each other and discuss and share their work.

The project resulted in a textisles celebration, and the first of two collaborative exhibitions is now open at Project Ability in Glasgow.

Cameron’s colourful work responds to the central belts bright lights and captures city critters, creepers and crawlers with expressive embroidery stitches. These are presented in circular mounts to reference the jarl shields of Shetland’s Viking history.

Elie’s work utilises a more minimal palette and is an exploration of how time spent in nature affects the human psyche. She focused on species of plant and animal encountered on a winter’s walk around Lerwick, the ubiquitous herring gulls and weeds, that are often overlooked. Reimagining scenes to convey the connection she felt with her natural environment, particularly during lockdown.

Visit the collaborative exhibition outside the main Project Ability gallery space in Trongate 103, Glasgow.
Open 11am - 5pm, Wednesday – Saturday.

The second exhibition will take place at Gaada from 29th April - 31st July.

Elie Coutts

Cameron Morgan