Amanda Gizzi

Born 1960 Glasgow, Scotland, now living in Edinburgh

1979-1983 BA(HONS) Tapestry
1983-1984 Postgraduate Diploma Tapestry
1985-1987 Taught Evening Classes and Life Drawing

I can't really remember choosing tapestry at ECA but more it chose me... and its been a bit like that ever since. No matter what media or technique I turn to... I find what I make in tapestry surprisers me most. And what I make in tapestry I am most proud of. My first influences were the figure and to this day although my images may have changed... figures are still a very prominent part of my work. I was initially interested in how the figure moves and the space it takes up... very much as part of an expression. I probably haven't changed that much... my present work looks at the figure and its involvement in everyday life. I have become more interested in shape and line - blending the figure with objects and pattern.

The flat areas of colour and the intensity of the media of tapestry offers my work a strong and powerful vehicle as a form of expression. A strong influence underpinning my work has been my Italian background and family life. Expectations of family meals, working together and a strong sense of extended childhood are the kind of experiences which feed into my visual images.Through traditional tapestry and being aware of composition and use of symbols hopefully I am allowing for a strong sense of the expressive through the narrative image.

Selected Exhibitions
2012 'Made in Scotland’ The Fleming Collection – The Fleming Wyfold Art Foundation, London
2009 'The Hungarian Triennial' Szombathely, Hungary
1995 'Collected Tapestries' The Barbican, London
1988-1990 'The Team' Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh, Centre Culturel de Pointe Claire, Montreal, Canada
Scheuer Tapestry Gallery, New York City, USA, Crafts Council of Ireland, Dublin, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Ecole Regionale des Beaux-Arts, Rouen, France

1992 - present. Lecturer in Curriculum Research – Art & Design – The University of Edinburgh

Influences
Rouseau, Picasso, PaulKlee, Mark Chagall, Botticelli, Fra Angelico