On March 20, 2025, our Guild had the pleasure of a presentation by Emily Tull from Kent, UK. Isn’t Zoom technology wonderful? What follows is a summary of her presentation.
Though trained as a painter, Emily has made a name for herself through her expressive and unconventional approach to textile art. Describing herself as a “scruffy stitcher,” Emily’s work thrives on intuition rather than precision, resulting in deeply emotive, organically composed pieces.
Emily began her journey into stitching in 2008, transitioning naturally from portrait painting to thread work. Her wildlife pieces, which began as simple gifts for family, evolved into a central focus of her practice. Inspired by a Japanese art book of birds and fueled by scraps of fabric passed down from her seamstress mother and great-grandmother, Emily’s work is deeply rooted in both personal history and experimentation.
Working mostly with natural fabrics like hessian and linen, Emily stitches UK-based wildlife—badgers, spar hawks, choughs, and more—onto textured, often symbolic backgrounds. She draws inspiration from photography, especially images where the subject is in sharp focus against a blurred backdrop, allowing her stitched animals to become the undeniable focal point of each piece.
Beyond traditional stitching, Emily is constantly pushing boundaries—incorporating vintage wallpaper, mussel shells, and even plastic. Her fascination with museum taxidermy and insects (including her mother’s collection of dead bees) informs her research-heavy approach. Every element she includes—down to the threads—is selected to evoke specific emotional responses, blending visual storytelling with tactile complexity.
Emily’s recent works have taken a more sculptural and conceptual turn. One highlight from her talk was a breathtaking installation of 21 organza birds suspended in flight. This piece was born from her complicated relationship with birds—childhood fear turned into adult fascination—and was designed to shift perspective depending on where the viewer stood. From the inside, the birds appear in their natural habitat; from the outside, they seem trapped in panic. It’s a powerful metaphor for both freedom and confinement.
Her practice also includes hybrid portrait-wildlife works, like the portrait of her brother with wildlife elements emerging from his beard, each symbolizing a different family member. These deeply personal pieces underscore Emily’s belief that humans and nature are intertwined in visible and invisible ways.
What makes Emily’s work stand out is not just her unique technique or striking imagery, but her philosophy: imperfection is welcome, emotion is paramount, and experimentation is key. With over 17 years of textile work behind her, Emily continues to evolve—layering her painter’s eye with a stitcher’s touch to bring the natural world into focus, one thread at a time.
You can view further work by Emily Tull at her website here. You can also follower her on Facebook here and Instagram here.