Ancestral Connections

Artist Lynne Hocking (Aberdeen, Scotland)

Date2021

Object Namefabric

MediumBrown linen handwoven with handspun flax tow yarn, oak cylinder mountings

ClassificationsTextiles

DimensionsOverall (Height x Width x Depth): 180 × 90 × 350mm

AcquisitionCommissioned in 2021 by Aberdeen Art Gallery using the prize money from the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2020 award.

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDMS095663

Keywords

About MeLynne is a handweaver and scientist who combines ancestry research, genetic data and material explorations to create handwoven textile objects that explore heritage, connection to place and identity. Much of her work explores her family's connection to the weaving trade in north-east Scotland over at least seven generations.

This work is a celebration of the craft of weaving that was once a major occupation across the north east, carried out by multiple family members and across many generations. Brown linen, with a plain weave structure and handwoven from handspun flax that would once have been grown locally, was a staple product used for sacking, sheeting and clothing (including those used to support the trans-Atlantic slave trade).