Ella Shiraz

Ella Shiraz (She/Her They/Them) is a multidisciplinary textiles artist, knitwear designer and dancer. They are a Graduate MA Fashion at the Royal College of Arts. Previously, Ella studied BA Fashion Knitwear Design and Knitted Textiles at Nottingham Trent University. Their work explores identity as a queer, black woman, utilising movement as a research tool and textiles craft as a medium of expression. 

Ella's work has been showcased at:  'Entrée: WIP 2023' at Royal College of Arts (London, 2023); 'Yohaku: empty space - 34th international exchange' at Kyoto City University of Arts ( Kyoto, 2022); 'J'evlève'' Fashion Show (Kyoto, 2022); Graduate Fashion week (London,2021); and SPINEXPO (Shanghai, 2019) . Within the fashion industry, Ella has experience as a: Freelance designing and manufacturing; creative assistant at LYL Official, and swatch design assistant at Sophie Steller Studios. Ella is a recipient of the RCA Studentship Scholarship.

Through movement, colour, textiles, and craft, my artistic practice delves into the concept of identity, examining it through the lens of a queer black woman and exploring its impact on the external world. Employing dance as my research methodology, I delve deep into the intricate connections between our physical bodies, the energies we emit, and the negative space surrounding us. Dance serves as a tool, allowing me to express and navigate the depths of my emotional and mental landscape.

As a dancer, I have been developing an awareness of my body within space and comprehending the interplay between my inner self, my physical form, and the environments I inhabit, whether within a performance or in the moments of everyday life. The objective of my practice is to integrate my physical presence and body into the surrounding space in order to capture the moments that arise between transitional movements.

The significance of craft within my creative practice is deeply rooted in its essential position within both queer and black communities. The ability to craft and create for oneself has been an integral aspect of the journey of self-discovery and identity exploration. Understanding that my core skills of design stem from online DIY culture, I recognised that my self-exploration was influenced to my handcrafted work. Throughout my practice, I have connected the dots between my knitwear design and crochet development and the experiences of my Caribbean grandparents, who were skilled tailors and seamstresses during their time in the Caribbean and in London.

The connection between the history of textiles and craft that emerged from Caribbean British communities and the significance of craft and design within black queer spaces of the past and present, has allowed me to build community and understanding of myself. Through the use of both knit and crochet, I am able to visually represent my essence as a queer, black woman that embodies my inner world.

My aim with my work is to spark dialogue that challenges preconceived notions and celebrates the resilience and richness of queer and black communities by unravelling the complexities of identity, culture, and self. Both Craft and movement are transformative languages that guide me in the understanding of myself and the world around me in order to highlight the complexities of a human experience.