National Embroidery Awards
News
BSU celebrates World Art Day and accomplishments of Design graduate Chloe Savage
Tuesday, 15 April, 202515 April marks World Art Day – celebrated annually on the birthday of one of the world’s most influential artists, Leonardo da Vinci.
BSU is home to vibrant Schools of Art and Design. With dynamic approaches to learning, these Schools have nurtured an interdisciplinary community, with roots dating back to 1852 when the Bath School of Art was founded.
Enjoying a reputation as one of the leading art schools in the country, BSU boasts a roll call of some of Britain’s best-known artists, including Walter Sickert and Howard Hodgkin.
Maintaining its reputation today, graduates of the Bath School of Art, Film and Media and the Bath School of Design are often celebrated for their exemplary contributions to the industry.
One such graduate is Chloe Savage, who stitched her way all the way to a first place win at the National Embroidery Awards 2025.
An annual event that aims to be the pinnacle of embroidery contests in the country, the National Embroidery Awards invites entries from all corners of the community, celebrating the artistry and diversity of embroidery.
The Awards offer equal opportunity by running two categories for applicants, both in and out of education. The judging panel featured names such as David Morrish, Founder of Kingfly Embroidery, Cheryl Caskey, Co-founder of UK Machine Embroidery Group, and other prominent figures in the industry.
Grounded in the rich traditions of embroidery, Chloe’s work blends time-honoured techniques with a modern artistic voice, bringing each piece to life with a deep sense of storytelling. The winning piece saw her hand-stitch four patterns using Morse code, implementing a 17th-century technique known as Black Work.
Discussing the story behind her work, Chloe said:
“The piece began with me going through terms used during an abusive relationship and converting them into Morse code patterns. The outline image was transferred to the piece using blue thread, which either vanishes or can be unpicked later.”
Chloe graduated from BSU with a PGCE in 2004, returning two decades later to pursue an MA in Design (Textiles). She describes the course as the catalyst that allowed her to reconnect with her lost practice after working in embroidery stitching other people’s designs. She said:
“I’d lost my mojo, but the course helped me find the meaning in my work and focus it on my skill set.”
Chloe is also a resident of EMERGE – a studio residency programme for BSU graduates across art, design, performance, music, and creative media that gives alumni a vital space to develop their careers.
Since graduating from her MA, Chloe has continued to hone her embroidery skills at EMERGE. She said:
“I’ve been working with Emerge and other artists there to continue developing my practice whilst working on my piece for the Awards. I’ve even been included in a new book by Patrica Van de Anker on teaching creative skills and been used as a case study for best practice.”
Drawing on encouragement from fellow EMERGE artists, Chloe considers the space a unique outlet for creativity where she can bounce ideas off residents who share similar professional experiences.
In addition to her residency at EMERGE, Chloe is expanding her horizons, having been accepted into a PhD program at the Royal College of Art, where she will continue to refine and evolve her practice.
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