The 2023 GREEN GRADS Epson TEXTILE CHALLENGE scoured Art Schools across the country to find the graduates best expressing their environmental concerns and/or love of the natural world through the medium of pattern on cloth – and at the same time taking into consideration eco-friendly textiles, dyes, and methods of production. 

“We uncovered some beautiful ECO STORIES this year,” said Debbie McKeegan, project director (@texintel). Co-judge was Barbara Chandler, founder/curator of GREEN GRADS who initiated ECO STORIES in 2021.

Joint winner of the GREEN GRADS Epson Textile Challenge 2023, with a handsome cash prize, was Becky Brentnall (BA Surface Pattern and Textile Design, Staffordshire University). Becky’s childhood garden has inspired in her a lifelong passion for nature and in particular for flowers grown in the UK. This now finds expression in dramatically large-scale textiles, up to four metres in length. These are hand-painted and screen-printed onto natural fabrics using Manutex, a seaweed-based dye thickener. Before returning to studies, Becky trained and worked as a landscape gardener and a florist. “My work celebrates and promotes nature on a large scale, and I want it to enrich home and business interiors.”

Also a winner was Zaynah Arif (BA Textiles and Surface Design, University of Bolton), for her portfolio Lepidoptera. She received a state-of-the-art Epson SureColor SC F2100 printer to use on both cotton and polyester fabrics. Zaynah’s beautiful hand-painted artwork for printing on stationery, wrapping paper, giftware and bags has a strong message. It is calling attention to the declining number of butterflies. “We must campaign to save all the pollinators in the same way as we have campaigned to save the bees.”

At GREEN GRADS at Heal’s both Zaynah and Becky attracted the attention of iconic textile designer Sarah Campbell, who spent a whole afternoon at the show (see pictures). @becky_designs.uk @zaynaharif_designs