Zaya Gilchrist

Zaya Gilchrist is a fibre artist based in Falmouth.

Whilst originally from London, she has called Cornwall her home for the past 20 years and would not wish to be anywhere else. She moved to Falmouth to complete a Foundation in Art and Design in 2007 and never left.

Zaya’s current practice infuses art with craft, using traditional knotting techniques and natural materials. The technique of tying knots dates back thousands of years. Zaya believes the longevity of craft practices can, in part, be nurtured by finding innovative ways of using them, helping to keep them relevant.

Knots demonstrate tension whether working in harmony or competing against each other. She predominantly keeps her designs minimalistic in order to allow each knot to be considered individually as well as in unison. Her colour palette is inspired by the hues found in the expansive skies in Cornwall.
Zaya names all of her work using Cornish vocabulary which helps to keep the language alive and paying homage to her beautiful, adopted county.