Daphne O’Connell WOA – portfolio

Contact the artist

https://deltacreative.carrd.co/
07834 370807
daphneoconnell7@hotmail.com

The artist at work

Exhibition information

I am excited to be taking part in Artweeks for the very first time this year.  I will be showing a selection of my work; including stitched portraits and miniature stitched landscapes.  

Artist information

Oxfordshire based self-taught textile artist, Daphne O’Connell (née Vatikiotis), works primarily using hand embroidery techniques to create fine art stitched portraits and thread paintings.

Daphne discovered her passion for hand embroidery almost a decade ago while experimenting with textiles in a cabin at the end of her garden. Since then, she has developed a highly personal and expressive style, drawing inspiration from celebrated artists such as David Hockney, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Paul Cézanne, alongside contemporary textile artists including Cėcile Davidovici and Cayce Zavaglia.

Her work has been featured in group exhibitions and Open Art events, and she is an active member of West Ox Arts, where she recently exhibited in their New Work exhibition. Most notably, Daphne was shortlisted as one of 60 finalists in the prestigious National Embroidery Awards 2026. Her piece Homage to David Hockney: End Bossiness Soon which will be on display during Artweeks was showcased at the NEC in Birmingham as part of The Fashion & Embroidery Show in March this year.

Daphne’s artistic journey began at a very young age. Reflecting on her early connection to art, she shares, “Ever since I was a little girl, I have always felt a strong connection with Art. I used to choose books from the library for their illustrations and sit and marvel at them for hours. I can remember drawing on the blank pages in the hardback books on my father’s bookshelves when I was just three years old, only to be told off quite sternly. What else were those blank pages for if not for drawing on?!

Her passion continued through her school years, where she took Art seriously and later studied it at A Level. Although she initially planned to pursue a Foundation Art Course, she reached a compromise with her father and instead studied French and History of Art at London University. This led to countless hours spent immersing herself in world-renowned galleries, including the Courtauld Institute, the National Gallery and the Tate Modern. During her year abroad, she travelled extensively, visiting Cézanne’s atelier in the South of France and exploring the Picasso Museum and the Miró Foundation in Barcelona.

Following her studies, Daphne built a career in the arts, working in theatre and later in arts marketing, culminating in her role at the Royal Opera House. “I found the whole creative process, from set design, costumes, make-up, etc. to live performance, absolutely exhilarating,” she recalls. After taking a career break to raise her family, she continued to explore her creativity through sketching, painting, knitting and making.

Daphne’s journey into textile art was unexpected. “I used to draw and paint before I started working with thread. It is probably the least likely medium I would have expected myself to fall into, as I never particularly liked sewing,” she explains. Inspired by artists such as Karen Nicol, Cayce Zavaglia and Ccile Davidovici, she became deeply engaged in learning embroidery techniques, teaching herself through books, online resources and classes.

Her work now focuses on portraiture, a subject she finds endlessly compelling. “I have always been fascinated by portraiture and the relationship between the artist and their subject. Through stitch and mark-making, I love to experiment and explore different ways to convey something of the character of the subject and what makes them unique.” More recently, her interests have expanded into Byzantine iconography, and she is currently working on a series of stitched icons of saints. One of her most celebrated works, Homage to David Hockney: End Bossiness Soon, reflects both her admiration for Hockney and a deeper social message. “I have been inspired not only by his prolific output but also by his love of life and art,” she says. “In a world where we hear about acts of intolerance daily and where liberty feels threatened, I wanted to bring attention to Hockney’s statement ‘End Bossiness Soon’. It is about personal liberty, the importance of tolerance, and being able to live life to our fullest.”

Daphne recently received the Award of Excellence for Vibrant and Unique Stitch Artist of the Year 2026-2027 by The Art Focus Magazine – who commented:- 

“A very well-deserved accolade for an extremely talented artist and certainly a name to watch out for in 26/27 and many more years to come!! Bravo!!!!”