Harriet Riddell travels the world with her sewing machine pitching up in challenging locations from the slums of Nairobi to the tea fields of the Himalayas. Through free motion embroidery she captures her surrounding environment and the people she meets.

Adventure, interaction and communication are key elements to each piece of Harriet’s work. Behind every 'stitch' lies a narrative of the people, place and culture.

At times, Harriet encourages her street audience to pedal a bicycle which generates electricity and powers the art. This increases the interaction between her, her subject and the art itself.

During the Pandemic, Harriet has been using the power of technology and stitching portraits of families around the world with her sewing machine on live Zoom video calls.
“It’s been fascinating to find the world in the same boat and document this strange time onto canvas.”

Harriet is looking forward to continuing to interact with the world with her art. She intends to tour her Travelling Gallery. The wheeled art installation space will travel from different towns, starting in Watlington during the Art Weeks. Harriet will respond to new locations with her work and the space will become a unique gallery space to view the art.