National Festival of Making – Gobaith
5th July at 11:00 am
Details
Umeed [Oh-meed] – Gobaith – Hope is crafted from material found on the factory floor and from within Liaqat Rasul’s collection saved over the years.
The collage of a face draws attention to the values of transparency at Herbert Parkinson and speaks to society as a whole – a series of anomalies fitting together, building community – hope.
Liaqat Rasul, a gay, dyslexic Welsh-Pakistani artist born in 1974, works in collage and sculpture. He transforms discarded materials—envelopes, tickets, fabric scraps, wire hangers—into vibrant, tactile compositions. These analogue creations tell visual stories of multicultural identity and mental health, celebrating real-world connections and the beauty found in imperfection.
For Rasul, art is an act of hope. He advocates for multiculturalism and the importance of valuing our support networks. Inspired by human vulnerability, mental health, and historical events, his recent pieces address injustices such as the murder of Stephen Lawrence and the 1943 Bengal Famine.
A recent commission, titled ‘0808 2000 247’ – the telephone number for the domestic violence charity Refuge – is a mobile face sculpture.
His practice, which emphasizes tangible engagement and community bonds, was recently celebrated in a solo show at ‘Nau Nau Doh Chaar’, Ty Pawb, Wrexham. The exhibition explored resilience and migrant experiences and served as a retrospective of his last 25 years in fashion and art.
Herbert Parkinson Textile Factory based in Darwen, Lancashire became part of the John Lewis Partnership in 1953, and ever since has been a thriving example of UK design, quality and craftsmanship. Combining the best of modern technology and traditional skills, Herbert Parkinson makes many of John Lewis’s own brand soft furnishings, duvets, pillows, and all of their Made to Measure products.
Herbert Parkinson is a major employer in the local community, with over 200 Partners working there. They are committed to supporting the textile industry and have been successful in keeping British manufacturing at the heart of Lancashire.
This is the second Art in Manufacturing residency hosted by Herbert Parkinson, following a residency during Season Four, with artists Sarah Marsh and Stephanie Jefferies that celebrated the factory’s 70th anniversary year.
