Rhapsody on Wheels is a travelling exhibition and collaboration between textile artist Aurora Pettinari York and architect Yaojen Chuang of Atelier Y A O, inspired by Greco-Roman mythology.
Thanks to a display structure on wheels, the exhibition spans three venues during London Craft Week, including Sans Pere.
The itinerant nature of the installation, a series of embroidered roundels, references classical Greek rhapsodes: professional performers of epic poetry who travelled from town to town and whose craft consisted in stitching together poems based on well-known myths. The diverse hosting venues contribute to the project narrative, kindly offering hospitality for a day and helping to shape the exhibition journey across London.
Aurora trained in historical hand embroidery at the Royal School of Needlework. Her technique has developed from an exploration of 17th-century English raised embroidery. Greco-Roman mythology lends an element of narrative to her work, providing endless archetypes to follow and subvert.
Yaojen is an ARB-registered architect with over eight years’ experience working in the field of architecture and design. He was an architect at Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio and at Heatherwick Studio prior to establishing Atelier Y A O.