Since graduating from Glasgow School of Art in 1990, Moy Mackay has built an impressive reputation for integrity, hard work and incandescent talent. Her eye for colour and texture is unparalleled. Award winning artist and published author, her ‘felt paintings’ are a pioneering development in the ancient craft of felting. Using merino fibres in the same way a painter uses brushstrokes, each vibrant, vivid piece achieves a depth of warmth and texture that paint alone cannot replicate.
Moy’s work demonstrates not only breathtaking talent but a pioneering streak. An avid painter and devotee of colour, Moy was searching for a new way to portray the vibrancy and depth of the palette she loved when she had the idea of using fibres in the same way a painter uses brushstrokes. With the broad palette available, and an array of exquisite fibres such as silk and merino, the sky really is the limit in terms of texture and depth of colour. With machine stitched mark making and embroidery to further define the piece Moy has found the new medium not only a joy to work with but ever-evolving. Each piece teems with possibility and the hands-on nature of the process means that the technique can be constantly refined and developed. By manipulating fibres in this way Moy has successfully bridged the gap between craft and fine art, with her acclaimed works exhibited in many galleries and private collections worldwide. Following the success of her best-selling book ‘Art in Felt & Stitch’, followed in 2014 by ‘Flowers in Felt & Stitch’ and then in 2018 ‘The Art of Moy Mackay’ her unique and innovative art form has attracted worldwide interest. She is regarded as the world leader in her field. In 2016 Moy was shortlisted to the final three in her heat of Sky Arts ‘Landscape Artist of the Year’.
“Moy Mackay is a true master of her craft. Her generosity in sharing her skill, and encouraging others to tap into their creativity, are testament to Moy’s role as a champion of this very distinct art form that she has made wholly her own. Moy Mackay can rest assured that she has shown the world that fibre and felting, in her hands, rightly deserve a place at the high table of art.”
Kathleen Soriano
Independent curator and Sky Arts: Portrait & Landscape Artist of the Year Judge
In 2013 Moy was awarded Silver in the coveted Craft & Design Selected Awards in the Textile catagory. The judge, Kaffe Fassett summarised beautifully the appeal of Moy’s work:
“Moy’s passionate use of colour and deep texture
created by felting are what draw me to her work. I
also like the way she concentrates on her
surroundings for her subject matter - her work is
very free.”
Kaffe Fassett
