Architecture is a recurring inspiration for James, much as it was for the Bauhauslers. The long, column-like wall panels of handwoven silk and bamboo that she created for last year’s Artefact art fair took their cues from the pink, green and white marble facade of Florence Cathedral. ‘I saw the geometric lines that wrap around the cathedral, saw the colours, and thought, “I’ve got to do something”. I chose tonal variations of the pinks and greens, staying within its sphere.’
As we speak, she has just completed an architecture-inspired commission for the Ruskin Library and Museum in Lancashire, which houses the Victorian critic and artist John Ruskin’s collection. ‘Ruskin loved and studied Venice, and though I couldn’t do a research trip to the city, I used the facades of its buildings as a colour reference.’ The outcome is a pair of metre-high panels in orange-red hues, created with yarns she dyed herself using natural materials such as turmeric, saffron and cochineal. ‘Even though I use very small amounts of yarn and dye, I am aware that the fashion and textile industry is one of the worst polluters in the world,’ she says. ‘I’d like to do my bit.’