Tapestry Girl

Niki McDonald

Urban faces, spaces and attitudes made permanent in wool. The sass of urban life balanced with the pace of needlepoint tapestry.

I’m saying that our urban environment empowers the women who embrace the colours, reflections, lights and brights.

I’m inspired by the ephemeral and drawn to the mechanical nature of my textile arts practice. Within the repetition and toiling is a space that allows me to connect with my intuition and inspires me beyond the daily grind.

The repetition of stitches echoes the pixels of digital work and the spray-paint used on the streets. I complement the stitches with photos I have taken and printed onto fabric, it offers texture, relevance and contrast.

Ironically street art is fast, contemporary and masculine. Tapestry is slow, traditional and feminine.

• Education
Bachelor of Creative Arts – Textiles Major – Wollongong University, Diploma of Education – Southern Cross University
• Prizes
2014 – The Waverley Art Prize – First Place – Mixed Media – Waverley – NSW
2013 – The International Women’s Day Art Prize, “First Place”, TAP Gallery, Darlinghurst
2012 – Waverley Art Prize – “Mixed Media, Highly Commended” – Bondi
2011 – Warringah Art Prize – “Artfocus Gallery and Studio Honourable Mention” – Dee Why
2011 – Waverley Art Prize – “Mayor’s Prize, Highly Commended” – Bondi
2009 – Waverly Art Prize – “First Place- Mixed Media” – Bondi
• Finalist
2018 – BUDA Contemporary Textiles Prize – Castlemaine, Victoria
2018 – Wangaratta – Petite Miniature Textiles – Wangaratta
2016 – Chippendale New World Art Prize, Chippendale, NSW
2014 – The Warringah Art Prize – Brookvale, NSW
2014 – Women on Boards Art prize – TAP Gallery – Darlinghurst
2014 – Stanthorpe Art Prize, Stanthorpe, QLD
2013 – Glebe Art Prize – Glebe, NSW
2013 – Waverley Art Prize – Bondi – NSW
2013 – Wangaratta Contemporary Textiles Prize
2012 – Glebe Art Prize – Glebe
2012 – Sept – Marrickville Art Prize –‘the Best of the Rest’ – ESP Gallery
2012 – Pyrmont Art Prize – Pyrmont, NSW
2012 – Mount Eyre Art Prize – Paddington NSW
2012 – Stanthorpe Art Festival – QLD
2010 – Waverley Art Prize – Bondi NSW
• Exhibitions

2022 – July – DIP Window Gallery, Darlington

2021 – October – Window Exhibition – Sydney Craft Week – Traffic jam galleries, NSW

2021 – July – Solo show – Traffic Jam galleries, Neutral Bay, NSW

2021 – February – Group exhibition, Birds, Traffic Jam Galleries, Neutral Bay, NSW

2020 – October – Solo Exhibition, TAP gallery + Sydney Craft Week, Surry Hills, NSW

2020 – October – Solo Exhibition, TAP Gallery, Surry Hills, NSW

2020 – July – August – DIP and Intelligent Animal, Window Exhibition, Darlington, NSW

2020 – March- June – Untitled 2020, Traffic Jam Galleries, Neutral Bay, NSW

2019 – November – SEW, Group Show, The Clerkenwell Gallery, London, UK

2019 – October – Made to Measure, Group Show, Hawthorn Town Hall Art Space, Victoria

2019 – October – Dopamine – Seed Stitch, Group Show, Gaffa Gallery, Sydney, NSW

2019 – September – Newcastle Stitches + Craft Show, Guest Artist Exhibition + workshops

2019 – February – Stitch Fetish, The Hive Gallery, L.A, USA

2019 – February – Stitches and Craft, Guest Artist – ICC, Darling Harbor, Sydney

2019 – March – Embrace, Group exhibition, White Rhino Art Space, St Leonards, NSW

2019 – June – The Fabric of Life, Be Brave Art Gallery, Avalon, NSW

2019 – February – Stitches and Craft, guest artist – ICC, Darling Harbor, Sydney

2018 – August – Artisans – Sew as I Go- Solo Exhibition – Mudgee, NSW
2018 – March – Be Brave Creative Space, Group exhibition, Avalon, NSW
2018 – March – Australian Design Centre, Maker’s Markets, Darlinghurst, NSW
2017 – October – TAP Gallery, Sydney Craft Week with the Seed Stitch Collective, Darlinghurst, NSW
2017 – September – Gaffa Gallery, Wonderment with the Seed Stitch Collective, Sydney, NSW
2017 – May, KPC Yarn Pop-up, Thread + Colour 2, Paddington, NSW
2016 – November – Seed Stitch Collective – Barometer Gallery, Paddington, NSW
2016 – June- Solo Exhibition – Gallery One88, Katoomba, NSW
2016 –March – Seed Stitch – Warringah Creative Gallery, NSW
2015 – December – Urban Road trip – TAP Gallery, Darlinghurst, NSW
2015 – November – The Kangaroo Visit Rome, group exhibition, Rome, Italy
2015 – October – Fibre Art Fare, Marrickville, NSW
2015 – September – “Poptastic”, group exhibition, Platform 72, Chippendale, NSW
2015 – August, “Slick City Chicks”, group show, TAP Gallery, Darlinghurst, NSW
2015 – March – Solo Exhibition, “The Light I See in You”, Platform 72, Chippendale, NSW
2015 – February – Art for Small Places – Platform 72, Chippendale, NSW
2015 – January -Dangar Island Gallery and Café, Solo Exhibition, Dangar Island, NSW
2014 – October to 2015 Feb – Concrete Jungle – The Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, NSW
2014 – July – Little Wing Gallery, Solo Exhibition, Bunbury, WA
2014 – April – Art for Small Places – Platform 72, Broadway and Darlinghurst
2014 – April – Here/There/Now – Ziggy’s Art, Wine and Cheese Bar, Chippendale, Sydney
2013 – October – BCA Reunion Exhibition, the Newtown Hub Gallery
2013 – September – The Sydney Fringe Festival, Leichardt Forum
2013 – June – ESP – Group Exhibition, Marrickville
2012 – Sept – ‘Off the Wall’ – I Heart Gallery – St Peters, Sydney
2012 – Sept – Fringe Arts at the Forum, Leichardt, Sydney
2012 – Sept – ‘Google Exhibition’ – Seymour Centre, Sydney
2012 – Tap Gallery, Various Group Shows, Darlinghurst
2012 – March – Global Gallery, Solo Exhibition – Paddington, NSW
2012 – March – Tap Gallery, Group Show – Darlinghurst, NSW
2012 – February –ESP Gallery, Group Show – “Love and Death” – Marrickville
2011 – November – The Hardware Gallery- ‘Urban Blend” – Enmore
2011 – September – Hardware Gallery – “Google Show” – Enmore
2011 – June – Hardware Gallery – Group Show- “Vinyl” – Enmore
2010 – November – Claremont College Art Exhibition, Coogee
2010 – Sept/Oct – Hardware Gallery – group exhibition – “Flight” – Enmore
2010 – August – World Bar – group exhibition- “40%wool 60%acrylic”- Kings Cross
2010 – June – Berkelouw Bookshop Cafe Gallery – Solo Exhibition – Newtown
2009 – August – October – High Valley Gallery – Mudgee
2009 – Jan – Urban Uprising Gallery – “New world revolution” – Darlinghurst

•         Editorials

2017 – Needle Point For Fun Website Interview

http://www.needlepoint-for-fun.com/tapestry-girl-makes-art-from-needle-and-thread.htm

2017 – Chilly Hollow Needle Point Adventure

https://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/more-about-niki-mcdonald-tapestry-girl.html

2017 Paisley World Blog

http://mypaisleyworld.blogspot.com.au/2017/03/edgy-urban-needlepoint-by-tapestry-girl.html

2017 – Textile Curator interview 

http://www.textilecurator.com/home-default/home-2-2/niki-mcdonald/

2016 – KPC Yarn Blog

http://www.knitpurlcrochet.com/post/151641297894/talking-textiles-niki-mcdonald

2016 – Chilly Hollow Needle Point Adventure

https://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/introducing-tapestry-girl.html

2016 – Drown Dogs Blog

http://drowningdogs.com/niki-mcdonald-aka-tapestry-girl/

2014 – July – ‘The Wentworth Courier’, issue # July 9th, page 25

2012 – March – “The Wentworth Courier” issue # March 21^st, page 40

2012 – March – “Beast” magazine Issue #86, page 94

2011 – November – “International Contemporary Artists Vol 3”, page 166 Published Book

2011 – August – “Cafe Society” magazine Issue 74 – Front page and PP 22 and 23

2011 – May –“Textile Fibre Forum” – Magazine no.102 – Front, back page images and article

2009 – September – “Textile Fibre Forum” magazine no.95 – half page editorial

2009 – August – “Mudgee Guardian” – Newspaper – Half page article and image