Alysn Midgelow-Marsden
Auckland, Aotearoa
Inspirer, energiser, facilitator and maker of lyrical, fluid sculptural works using textile based techniques.
Message
Alysn is an interdisciplinary artist working across textile, sculpture and installation using specialised metal cloths, gilding and wire, emphasizing tactile surfaces and interplay with light and moving image. The impact of light playing over the surfaces of her work create lyrical, magical works which celebrate connections through contrasting textures, translucency and shadows, the ethereal and the earthy, the monumental and the insignificant.
Her experimental and curious nature leads to continuously evolving works and media; investigating new dimensions as they develop. Stainless steel, brass, copper, bronze cloths, wires, metals and gilding metal are regularly used and the muted hues of oxidizing patinas and heat treatments suggest transformation over time.
In her work Alysn celebrates the brilliance of our consciousness and the profound beauty of our ‘being’.
Her compositions include wall based and freestanding and range from petite to substantially large.
Resume
Alysn has an artistic profile extending internationally through exhibitions, teaching, mentoring and writing.
Initially trained as an embroiderer and textile artist, she has always been interested in exploring materials and forms not usually associated with textiles and stitch, gradually morphing towards sculpture and digital works.
She set up, developed and ran an art centre called ‘The Beetroot Tree’ near to Nottingham (UK) which over a period of 13 years became a hub for contemporary and participatory installation art, hosted many workshops, school holiday programmes, local art trails and other events, it supported artists through sales of work and other opportunities and encouraged all ages to appreciate a breadth of creative experiences and invigorated the village in which it was set. Alysn re-located with her family from the UK to New Zealand in 2012.
Her work can be seen at galleries including permanent representation at Art By the Sea (Takapuna), Art By the River (Whanganui), OBV Gallery (Matakana), Lawnmowersson (Waihi), and Timeless Textiles (Newcastle, Australia). You are welcome to visit her studio (by appointment) on the Tawharanui Peninsula.
Her most recent accolade was a 3rd place finalist in the Estuary Art and Ecology Exhibition at the Malcom Smith Gallery, Auckland for 'Mitigation at the Margins' (short film). Other awards for selected exhibitions include: Mandurah Wearable Art (Australia) for ‘What Lies Beneath’; ‘Wall Brooches II’, (Australia) for ‘Taniwha’; ‘Changing Threads’ Nelson Arts ‘Bernina Award’ for ‘The Space Between VII’.
Statement
Alysn Midgelow-Marsden (she/her) is a British born, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland region artist. She is often described as an energiser and inspirer in both her art practice and teaching. She is often described as an energiser and inspirer in both her art practice and teaching. She has exhibited widely across New Zealand, Australia, the USA, the UK, and China, with work included in internationally touring exhibitions. She has received funding awards to support the development of new work, authored and published several books, contributed to others, and been featured in numerous magazine articles.
Her background in both science and art has long informed her practice. While textiles and stitch remain a constant foundation, an enduring curiosity about materials and processes has led her to explore metal, woven metal fabrics, wire, thread, paint, and mixed media. Oxides such as verdigris and rust are often incorporated. The muted hues of patinas and heat treatments evoke quiet narratives of transformation over time.
Her work is characterised by intense detail and rich texture, employing painstaking, time-intensive techniques rooted in textile and stitch traditions. An experimental and inquisitive approach drives the continual evolution of materials and methods, resulting in works defined by intertwining lines, structures, and patterns.
Committed to expressing emotional energies, Alysn creates work that is both deeply personal and broadly resonant. Themes of transformation, change, and the mystery of the unseen underpin her practice, offering a space for reflection and an invitation to consider the brilliance of consciousness.