Exciting new work from two emerging East Midlands’ artists will feature in “The National Centre Presents ….The Gallery Garden”.

Unique kiln fused glass work by Stevie Davies will sit alongside Bethany Walker’s now ‘signature’ and dynamic contrast of textiles and concrete to create an installation show entitled “The Gallery Garden”.

Curator Laura Mabbutt says: “We call out for artists to exhibit their work each year in our Roof Gallery under the banner of ‘The National Centre Presents’ in order to offer them an opportunity to gain further exposure of their practice as well as a tool for exhibiting in a professional gallery. This year we were so impressed by these two separate applications that we encouraged the artists to work together on one exhibition.”

Both artists are inspired by the outdoors, both use textile techniques in their own unique way fusing them into harder materials and both wanted to push themselves into creating larger installation pieces that used a gallery for its own space.

Stevie Davies is based in Derby and uses textile techniques with wire to control, restrict or pressurise her glass whilst in the kiln creating exciting forms as well as decorative elements. Inspired by flowers and plants, Stevie wraps various sections of glass hundreds of times with wire. The process of wrapping wire by hand around chosen pieces of glass not only creates decorative designs, but also constructs the restrictive grid that forms and shapes the piece through numerous firings.

Bethany Walker works in Arnold, Nottingham and uses, what appears at first sight, an odd combination of concrete and textiles to create beautiful and captivating pieces which possess immense tactile qualities. Her work explores connections and contrasts in the urban environment – things we all observe daily but often overlook. Endeavouring to break new ground, Bethany is pushing the boundaries of contemporary textiles - blurring design disciplines, breaking preconceptions and traditionalist viewpoints to create pleasantly stunning pieces.

“The Gallery Garden” opens on 12 January 2013 until 10 February 2013.