Meet the Artist: Mimi Rose

Mimi Rose is a multidisciplinary artist and a recent graduate from Goldsmiths University. Her intricate quilts vocalise deeply personal and moving experiences, Mimi bearing her soul into her pieces as a means for others to feel seen and heard. Using natural dyes to ground herself in the healing grasp of nature, Mimi's works highlight the complex yet comforting relationship between softness and strength. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to sit down with her—here’s our full interview below!

The Artist Mimi Rose and her work ''A Mother’s Love ''– Naturally dyed, cotton quilt, 2024-5 ,  © Mimi Rose

How would you describe your artistic practice?

My artistic practice consists of textiles that I naturally dye and then quilt together to portray intimate, personal and awe-inspiring scenes that I have felt from life experiences. I am fairly new to the textile side of fine art, before I was primarily painting and collaging, but I have had a fascination with textiles since I was young. My artistic practice has always been a means to convey the deeper feelings I cannot express with verbal communication - using imagery as a non linear language. Since discovering quilting, I feel I have found my artistic calling - I can’t wait to make many more.

A Mother’s Love – Naturally dyed, cotton quilt, 2024-5 Mimi Rose,  © Mimi Rose

Can you tell me about the pieces you exhibited in your BA Degree Show?

The BA degree show was a quilt [entitled ‘A Mothers Love’] that I sewed entirely by hand as a means to connect to my loss regarding an ectopic pregnancy. I wanted the quilt to portray the deep love I felt for the soul of that child. The act of hand stitching the quilt enabled me to listen to the parts of myself that felt unheard due to the social silencing that occurs around early pregnancy loss. I hoped the quilt would serve as a contribution toward creating a more accepting space - where others might also feel able to speak openly about their own losses. Using natural dyes felt meaningful to me - like I was learning something deeper about mortality and how nature works. It showed me that even when a plant’s life comes to an end, it still has more to give. The colour it offers feels like the next stage in its journey - a continuation, not an ending. The quilt took me a year to make, I knew I wanted to make a quilt of this size roughly so I made sure I had enough time to complete for the degree show.

Detail from ''A Mother’s Love'' -Naturally dyed, cotton quilt, 2024-5 by Mimi Rose,  ©Mimi Rose

Your works are made of natural materials and dyes, what is the importance of textiles in your work, specifically natural materials?

The importance of natural materials in my practice is huge. I adore natural dyeing — it feels ethereal to watch the colours come to life, and it’s deeply connecting to the treasures of nature. It lifts me out of the fast pace of modern life and reminds me that nature provides everything I could ever possibly need. Natural dyeing is biodegradable and far more sustainable for the environment than synthetic alternatives — and it encourages creativity and innovation. I’d recommend it to everyone; you can make a delightful range of beautiful colours just using food waste such as tea, coffee, avocado skins & pips, onion skins and more - give it a try! Textiles and hand sewing make me feel deeply connected to the lineage of women’s artistry and craftsmanship. It’s something I feel that shouldn’t be forgotten knowledge; I like being part of a collective that keeps it alive. I hope to learn how to make my own textiles someday, from seed to fibre, then spinning to weaving - I’m fascinated to explore this more.

Installation view of ''A Mother’s Love'' -Naturally dyed, cotton quilt, 2024-5 ©Mimi Rose

What does the process of creating natural dyes consist of? Do you face any challenges with this technique and if so, how do you overcome them?

The process of natural dyeing is really not as intimidating as it may seem for someone who has never given it a go. I like to forage for flowers, barks, leaves etc and experiment with what I have collected - this way I learn a lot about all the botanicals surrounding me. But I also source some beautiful plants online for the ones that aren’t native to my area. I always pre-treat my fibres using an Alum Mordant as this keeps the colours locked in for longer and adds more vibrancy. Then I heat a large pan (used only for natural dyeing) with water and my chosen plants, bringing it to a very light simmer. Once the water changes colour, I know it’s time to add the fibre. When natural dyeing, at times I am reminded of the precious memories of making imaginary ‘magic potions’ as a child. I also dye by steaming (Bundle Dyeing) and a technique called Flower Pounding. You can add colour modifiers such as iron, bicarbonate soda and vinegar to adjust the PH levels of your dye. It’s all about experimenting for yourself, listening to your intuition and exploring what works. I try not to let my expectations rule the way in which I work with the dyes - sometimes you get a colour that you had hoped for, and other times you get a completely different hue/tone that takes you by surprise. Of course, chemistry comes into play (which I also find fascinating) but I like to not be too controlling of the process as I want the dyes to be free to create. Pretty much any plant makes some sort of dye, you’d be surprised! Just be sure to always check what the plant is before to avoid any mix-ups.

Detail ''A Mother’s Love'' -Naturally dyed, cotton quilt, 2024-5 ©Mimi Rose

What direction would you like your practice to go in in the future? Is this different to when you started your degree?

Moving forward I’d like my practise to continue its evolution in the textile field. I aim to get back into creative work again and eventually produce enough quilts to try and exhibit. I have lots of inspiration at the moment so I’ll use that to explore many more subjects that I wish to dive into. Of course, I’d love to receive any commissions as I’d enjoy taking someone else’s idea’s and turning it into something they can hold, touch and treasure. Quilts have a magical way of preserving and commemorating memories. This is definitely different to when I started my degree - as previously mentioned, before working with textiles and quilting I was mainly painting but I felt that this never truly captured the essence of what I was aiming to convey; with the medium of sewing, I connect more to the profound feelings that wish to be expressed.

Do you have any upcoming events/exhibitions/projects that you would like to promote?

Yes! I will be exhibiting ‘A Mother’s Love’ at the NEC, in Birmingham, for the Festival of Quilts. It takes place from the 31st of July to the 3rd of August. It’s the largest collection of quilts in Europe.

Do you have any social media/websites that you would like to promote?

Currently I only have Instagram but in the next few months I’ll be working on a website where I hope to have some quilts for sale on in the future.

Link to her art: https://www.instagram.com/mimirose_art/