Charlotte Baldwin-Hay

Charlotte's artistic practice focuses on the transformative act of self-decoration. She is interested in the relationships connecting pain and glamour. Charlotte's practice involves a process of layering multicultural symbols of power to illustrate a universal recipe to empower oneself. To create her textile pieces Charlotte sources second-hand women's clothing to tie her to a female audience, which also aids her work to be more sustainable and unique, depending on what she can find. Using textile-based arts connects Charlotte to a lineage of women who inspire her work, further allowing the work to be viewed through a feminine lens. As an artist, she is drawn to beads and sequins to represent the ‘precious’ objects we layer onto ourselves to cultivate power. The comforting nature of quilting and the brutal mechanical nature of the piercing needle speaks symbolically about her themes, exploring the connection between pain and glamour.

Through her work, Charlotte enjoys worldmaking and storytelling; she combines a blend of history and modern-day culture to produce playful narratives where women hold all the power and look fabulous while doing so. Throughout her work, the tiger is a continuous symbol of power, prowling alongside fierce female characters in her femme fantasy world.

Charlotte has recently graduated with a first-class honours in Fine Art from Northumbria University, resulting in the opportunity to exhibit her work in the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts. Through the New Graduates award with Middlesbrough Art Week, she is exploring new ways of working post-graduation.

@charlottebaldwinhay_art