Keira Mavin
she/her
A student inspired by the hardships her Great Grandfather has faced through his minesweeping operations during WW2, specialising in ceramics and stitch.
she/her
My final major project is an exploration of my Great Grandfather’s time of service in the Royal Navy, taking inspiration from a collection of his war medals and personal documentation in particular. Below are close-ups of my ceramics which took direct inspiration from the fingerprints on my Great Grandfather’s Argentinian Immigration Certificate where he was assigned for two years during WW2.
During my studies I visited Chatham’s Historic Dockyard which is the last remaining Royal Navy Ropery still in operation. While I was there, I participated in a rope-making workshop where I learnt how to use the Henry Maudslay Rope Forming Machine. I also purchased a hank of natural coir rope, which is made of coconut hair, to explore macrame and layering techniques with my stitch work. I made sure all of my ropes were bio-degradable alongside the water-soluble topping film I used to embroider into. This was because I thought it was important to safeguard the seas that my Great Grandfather worked so hard to defend.
Experimentation with modular compositions
