About

Dr Lynn Setterington.

Lynn Setterington

I am an internationally recognised textile artist. My work explores contemporary issues and how stitch can be used to commemorate people and communities.

My quilts and cloths are held in many major public museums including the V&A, Crafts Council, IQSC and Whitworth Art Gallery.

Born in Yorkshire, I trained at Goldsmith’s College. My PhD is from UCA Farnham. I am a Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Approach

I use embroidery methods and textile history to explore societal issues ranging from belonging, to sustainability, place, well-being and personal identity. I see myself as an ethnographic embroiderer who engages with the world through stitch. For more than five decades I have worked with communities across the globe, including the UK, India, Bangladesh, Brazil and USA, mostly groups who are marginalised and lack voice and visibility.

Exhibitions

I have exhibited widely and have been involved in the development of the contemporary craft scene in the UK. My work has been celebrated for its innovation and its blend of fine art with craft traditions.

1994, Wash Day Blues, a hand-sewn kantha which pays homage to the washing machine and rituals of everyday life. Collection of the Embroideries Guild.
2017, Sew Near – Sew Far. Installing the piece on Haworth Moor.

Commissions

For the last decade I have specialised in devising and co-ordinating a number of commissions and pubic engagement projects using embroidery and quilt making. Some of this have been large-scale projects involving many people.

Nine Objects, held by Denver Museum of Art.

Work in Collections

My work is held in over 20 major public collections across the UK and internationally, including the V&A Museum, The Whitworth and Denver Museum of Art.

Workshops

School workshop. 2024. A workshop with a primary school in North Manchester using old footballs and donated cloth to create 3D patchworks.
2004, Patchwork of Memories created from a patchwork made as a teenager.
2025, Connecting Threads Tactile Social History.
2021, The Global Quilt made from found cotton fabrics.


“Lynn Setterington is an extremely important artist working on the edges of politics and ethnography”

Jane Webb – Head of School for Cross Faculty Studies, Warwick University