Tomorrow and on Sunday the touring exhibition Y/Our Linen Stories makes another stop at Customs Lane in Leith. There will be a pop-up exhibition and displays focussing on migration and maritime cultures – and a lobster pot.
The lobster pot has been used by fashion designer Claudia Escobar to treat a piece of linen woven specially for her. She dunked the material in the harbour at Newhaven and allowed lobsters and sea snails to have their own effect on the material. After this the material is rinsed in the Water of Leith at source and will then be used to make ‘breeks’.
This is the inaugural Material World production by Journeys in Design. There will be work by contemporary designers along with tales of flax and linen heritage and production.
Curator John Ennis said : “Since the days of the Huguenots migrants have brought great creative energy to Scotland. We wanted to celebrate Leith’s pivotal role in the migrant and maritime cultures of Scotland as they have emerged from Our Linen Stories and where better to do that than Custom Lane?”
The exhibition also featured the Edinburgh City Maritime Heritage box on loan from the City of Edinburgh Council and a maritime display from SS Explorer.
On Saturday 25 May visual artist Rosemary Taylor will show her photo booth project capturing images of working women’s hands.
On Sunday 26 May there will be a new guided Walk by Design on migration and maritime cultures around Leith beginning at 2.30pm with a rousing choral start provided by Newhaven Community Choir. The new walk has been designed in collaboration with artist-storyteller Jan Bee Brown. Entry Free but tickets on Eventbrite.
Y/Our Linen Stories is open from 10,00am to 4.00pm on 25 and 26 May 2019 at Custom Lane Leith. You can also see it on Saturdays in June at Olympia Arcade Kirkcaldy.
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