A Blackburn crochet expert is delighted after an art installation, she helped bring to life, is in the running for a Turner Prize.
Rachael Mills, who lives in the Brownhill area, created a giant doily, which is five metres wide, as part of an art installation for Jasleen Kaur in 2021.
Jasleen covered a red sports car with Rachael’s ornamental doily mat as part of her exhibition, Alter Altar at Tramway, Glasgow.
It was originally commissioned for the British Textile Biennial, an art festival that takes place every two years across East Lancashire.
Now, it has made the shortlist for 2024’s Turner Prize, an annual prize presented to a British visual artist. Artists compete for £25,000 and those shortlisted will be awarded £10,000.
Rachael, owner of businesses REM-Designs and Crochet Crazy Creations, said: “Jasleen heard about me through word of mouth. I crochet as a business and I teach crochet classes from workshops.
“I was blown away to be asked for help, when it was going to be displayed at the British Textile Biennial. It is even more incredible that [the artwork] has now been nominated for a Turner Prize.
“It’s fantastic that the business in the spotlight like this. It’s so nice that I can say ‘my little business made this’.”
Jasleen Kaur’s exhibition aims to showcase her growing up in Glasgow’s Sikh community.
The exhibition used family photos, an Axminster carpet, a vintage Ford Escort, Irn-Bru and kinetic hand bells.
Rosie Cooper, director of Wysing Arts Centre, who sits on the judging panel said Jasleen sees the vehicle as a “representation of her dad’s first car and his migrant desires” and it “blasted snippets of uplifting pop songs referencing freedom and liberation throughout the space”.
Rachael, 56, said the doily required 67 balls of cotton yarn took around three months to complete.
She said: “All I had was her vision and a picture of a six-inch doily that was on a table.
“I worked on it almost every night. It had its own space on the sofa by the end of it. I crocheted it by eye and made up [the pattern] as I went along.
“I had to keep going to my local pub and spread it out on their dance floor so I could stand on the bar and take a photo, just to ensure the pattern was right. I had to make sure it was flat.”
Rachael said the artwork has attracted more people to her business page.
She said: “This has attracted more people to my business. My crochet classes and workshops are always full and I get a lot of bookings.
“I have been running crochet classes for around 15 years and my business dates back 25 years. I started it before crocheting even became popular.
“Crochet had a resurgence since Covid and I am so busy with people who want to learn.”
Rachael has wished Jasleen luck and has her fingers crossed that she will come home with the top prize.
An exhibition of the shortlisted work will be held at Tate Britain from September 25 to February 16. Rachael will be in attendance.
The winner will be announced at an award ceremony at Tate Britain on December 3.
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