Rita Parniczky is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice investigates structure. Through sculpture, photography, video, installation and drawing Parniczky exposes less visible structural qualities of mundane objects and traditional techniques. Revealing unexpected visual details she integrates personal history, human response and cultural identity in her work.
Parniczky is a graduate of Central Saint Martins (2009). Here, she developed a unique weave technique to explore the inner thread structure, the vertical warp, and reveal it in its full scale. The warp, Parniczky sees as the skeleton of textiles, which ephisesed in her translucent sculptural work, ‘X-Ray’ series forms the focal point in her installations with sunlight.
Parniczky is the recipient of a prestigious commission award from The Worshipful Company of Weavers and the Victoria & Albert Museum (2010), Arts Council award (2015), the Perrier-Jouët Arts Salon Prize (2016), the Theo Moorman Trust Award (2018), Peter Collingwood Trust Award (2015), the a-n Bursary (2018) and London Creative Network bursary (2017). She joint the Livery of The Worshipful Company of Weavers in 2022 and was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2021.
'X-Ray’ series is part of the Victoria & Albert Museum’s permanent collection.
CV | Rita Parniczky
Lives and works in London
Education
2009 BA Honours Textiles, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London
Solo Exhibitions
2024 ‘Structure’; The Blue Lotus Foundation, London
2019 ‘Broken Bones’; Whitefriars Gallery, London
2018 ‘X-Ray Review’; Whitefriars Gallery, London
2017 ‘Beyond the Surface, Observing the Inner Structure'; CSC, Farnham
2016 'Weaving with Light, The Forest of Architectural Monofilament', curator: Julia Royse, presented by Perrier-Jouët Arts Salon; CAA, London
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024. ‘VIII International Triennial of Textile Arts’, Szombathelyi Képtár, Szombathely, HU; 21 June - 31 August
‘Unraveled’, Maximillian Wölfgang Gallery, London
2023 ‘Taste the World, The Banquet of Wonders’, Musée du vin de Champagne et d'Archéologie régionale d'Epernay, Maison Perrier-Jouët, Epernay, FR
2022 ‘Many Rivers to Cross’, Riverside Studios, London
2020 ‘Works on Paper’; Selections, Dubai, UAE
2019 ‘In the Dark’; The Cello Factory, London
2018 'Defining Structure'; The Cello Factory, London
'Here's the Thing'; Whitefriars Gallery, London
'Matter'; Whitefriars Gallery, London
2017 'Showcase Edition three'; Space Studios Gallery, London
'Threadways'; Växjö City Art Gallery, Sweden
2016 ‘Design Days Dubai’; presented by Crafts Council UK; Dubai, UAE
2015 ‘Ornament’; nominated by The Whitworth, curator: Victoria Scholes; Manchester
‘Future Heritage’; curator: Corinne Julius; supported by Decorex/UBM; Syon Park, London
‘Collect Open’; curator: Julia Ravenscroft; Saatchi Gallery, London
2014-5 'Building with Textiles', curator: Suzan Russeler; TextielMuseum Tilburg, NL
Collections
Victoria & Albert Museum Permanent Textile Collection, London
The Worshipful Company of Weavers, London
Private Collections worldwide
Selected Awards and Achievements
2022 Livery of The Worshipful Company of Weavers
2021 Freeman of The Worshipful Company of Weavers
Freedom of City of London
2018 Recipient of Theo Moorman Trust Award
Recipient of a-n Artist Bursaries, a-n The Artists Information Company
2017 Nominated for The Arts Foundation Fellowship 2018 by Julia Lohmann
Nominated for The Hospital Club h.Club 100 Award in Art, Design and Craft category; nominated by Rosy Greenlees OBE, Julie Lomax and Aneeqa Khan
2016 Recipient of Perrier-Jouët Arts Salon Prize; nominated by Alice Kettle
2015 Recipient of Peter Collingwood Trust Award
Recipient of Grants for the Arts, Arts Council England
2014 Shortlisted and Runner-Up, The Arts Foundation Fellowship for Materials Innovation 2015 supported by the Clothworkers' Foundation; nominated by Rosy Greenlees OBE
Recipient of Best in Show and First Prize in Wall Hung Pieces in Geoffrey Squire Memorial Competition `Silvery Threads`, The Costume and Textile Association for Norfolk Museums
2010 Recipient of Wall Hanging Award, The Worshipful Company of Weavers and the Victoria and Albert Museum
Member
Livery of The Worshipful Company of Weavers
Freedom of The City of London
Text
Parniczky, Rita: “Expectations and Limitations”, The Journal for Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, autumn 2019
Parniczky, Rita: “Skeleton of Fabrics”, The Journal for Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, Issue No 253, spring 2015, p. 6-8
Selected Publications
Burks, Connie Karol, "New Acquisition: X-Ray Series Woven Sculpture by Rita Parniczky, V&A Museum
Abrahams, Charlotte, "Intriguing diaphanous weavings inspired by photography, FT How To Spend It
Buck, Louisa, “Exhibition Round Up”, The Art Newspaper
Lloyd-Jones, Teleri, “Rita Parniczky: Weaving with Light”, UAL: Central Saint Martins News
Bertoli, Rosa, “The Beauty of Making: Rita Parniczky wins Perrier-Jouët Arts Salon Prize”, Wallpaper
Blomfield, Anna, “The A-List: Weaving with Light”, Vanity Fair UK
Treggiden, Katie: “From Art Deco to X-rays”, Crafts, Issue No 261, p. 94
Alioto, Daisy, “Design Days Dubai 2016: Rita Parniczky's textiles lay their threads bare”, Wallpaper
Ignell, Tina: “Transparent Pathways”, VÄV Vävmagasinet, No.2/2016, p.30-32
Julius, Corinne: “The Bones of an Idea”, Selvedge, September 2015, p.56-57
Lloyd-Jones, Teleri: “Show and Tell”, Crafts, Issue No 255, July/August 2015, p 14-15
Chambers, Rachael: “The X-Ray Factor”, craft & design magazine, cover and article, April/May 2014, p. 6-8
Upward, Lucy: “X-Ray Vision”, Cover, Autumn 2013, p. 46-49
Ross, Calum Castoro: “10 for 2010: A selection of interviews with the year’s up and coming creative talents”, Bread & Butter Publishing 2010, p. 44-51
Testimonials
“In woven textiles most of what is seen has already been made before. But just once or twice in a generation there is a designer who immediately you can recognise as a person who has the loom craft, the inspiration, and the courage to push the boundaries of weave to a new and innovative level. Rita Parniczky is that talented exceptional designer who combines the meticulous attention to the detail and originality, which is revealed in her perfection on the loom.”
Richard J. Humphries MBE FRSA Upper Bailiff of The Worshipful Company of Weavers in 2016
“This award [Perrier-Jouët Arts Salon Prize] is about the beauty in everyday life. Rita does it in an amazing way. It’s also about awarding the beauty of making, and the beauty of making in a very contemporary way – we are not nostalgic, not looking back, we have a very strong heritage we want to keep alive in a contemporary way.”
Axelle de Buffévent Style Director Perrier-Jouët
Social media
Instagram: @rita_parniczky