About
PARALLEL + INTERWOVEN PRACTICES
Nicola Hockley is an artist and award-winning designer in visual and material communication. Her interest in pattern, language and traditional craft techniques have informed recent investigations in constructed and woven textiles. Within her art practice, Nicola aims to elevate the often overlooked and incidental patterns that are embedded within places.
Her work is meticulously crafted using experimental processes. Explorations develop using a combination of hand and digital skills, and outputs draw on a wide range of media, including typography, collage, drawing, photography and textiles. Together, her work communicates unexpected, yet considered responses. Her client base includes professionals, cultural institutions and galleries.
For many years, Nicola lived in developing countries such as Sudan, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka. However, it was her three-month residency in Japan, at Kyoto City University of the Arts, which had the most profound effect on her creative development. Her appreciation towards the cultures attention to detail and quest to find a balance between material, form and structure has shaped her practice.
Nicola was born in Dublin and currently works from her studio in Norfolk. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Distinction) in Graphic Design at California College of the Arts (CCA), followed by a Master degree in Communication Art and Design from the Royal College of Art (RCA). More recently, she has received her second Master’s degree (Distinction) in Textile Design at Norwich University of the Arts (NUA).
Nicola has exhibited nationally and internationally. Her work is recognised through a number of awards, scholarships and bursaries. Her textiles are held in a public collection at The Corn Hall in East Anglia.
Awards & Scholarships
Jerwood Visual Arts. Shortlisted for Artist Bursaries 2017.
D&AD award, British Art and design direction, London, 2001. Award received for collaborative work on Eye magazine, under the art direction of Nick Bell.
Kyoto City University of The Arts Scholarship, Kyoto, 2000; A three-month bursary to study at the Kyoto City University of The Arts in Kyoto.
OM Exchange Scholarship, Tuition scholarship. London,1999.
Graphis New Talent Design Annual, New York, 1999. Graphis Gold Award for undergraduate thesis ‘Fold: Text Image Sound’.
Communication Art Scholarship, Tuition scholarship. California, 1996.
Exhibitions
Woven Waters. selected artist for Broads Landscape Partnership scheme, 2019. Group exhibition.
The Shape of It. Studio 20, Norwich., 2017. Group exhibition.
Techne. The Corn Hall, Diss, Norfolk, 2017. Solo exhibition.
Archived’, Diss Museum, Norfolk. May 2017 . Solo exhibition.
Allegorical Folds. Bishops Art Prize, Norwich Cathedral Hostry, 2016. Group exhibition.
Activating White Space. Gulbenkian Gallery, 2001. Group exhibition.
Stimming. Gulbenkian Gallery, , London, 2001. Group exhibition.
In My Head. Hockney Gallery, London, 2001. Solo exhibition.
Gesture. and Balance Kyoto Art Centre, Kyoto. Japan. 2001. Group exhibition.
In-between. Gulbenkian Gallery, R.C.A. London, 2001. Group exhibition.
Fold: Text Image Sound, CCA. San Francisco, USA. 1999. Group exhibition.