Introducing the artists...

Nina Chua studied Embroidery at Manchester Metropolitan University graduating in 2002. Since 2004 she has worked as a freelance artist, exhibiting and teaching artist workshops, for Urbis, Manchester Art Gallery, Chinese Arts Centre and many others.

Her work is predominately textile based. Recent exhibitions include Boutique a group show at the Chinese Arts Centre in Manchester and Black and White, Love and Hate a solo textile installation and live art event at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle.

She is based in Manchester and has worked part time at House of Haynes since 2001.


Rachael Kelly’s degree was in Interactive Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University, finishing in 2002. Since then she has created and worked on her own accessory design/making company named The Millionaires Club.

Her practice is very fashion influenced and is mainly concerned with the personal projected 'image', using photographic performance and site specific installation.

She has worked at House of Hayes for 3 years.


Jo Lewington graduated from BA Embroidery in 2007. She is currently working on a commission for CN4M (community network for Manchester) considering social networks, specifically employment and local economy. Her practice is focused upon an understanding of movement and our relationship to the space we inhabit. Whilst studying in Norway in 2006, she produced installations exploring time through the connotation of making knots, and her work has been closely linked to the sea and water.

Jo Lewington now works predominantly with film and drawing. She is based at Bankley Studios, Levenshulme and has worked at House of Haynes since November 2007.


Jessica Longmore completed a degree in Textile Design in 2002. Since then her work moved away from textiles, towards sculpture. She graduated from an MA in Fine art at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2007 and has recently exhibited in School of Art at Galleria FAFA, Helsinki and Transition at Holden Gallery, Manchester.

Jessica’s work involves spontaneous sculptural responses to the environment she finds herself in. The work often has psychological references, reflected through the interaction of contrasting forms. She is currently based in AWOL studios in Ancoats.

Jessica first started to work for House of Haynes in 2001 and has worked there on and off ever since.


Oli Stanion graduated from a degree in Fashion at Salford University this Summer. His final collection is entiled Sunday Best and takes its inspiration from the English Countryside. Oli will be showing illustrations relating to his fashion collection as part of the exhibition.


Mandy Tolley. After studying Embroidery at Manchester Metropolitan University from ’99-2002, Mandy Tolley became Artist in Residence at City College, Manchester on the Arts Council’s Setting Up Scheme.

During this time her textile work has developed combining digital print with screen print and computerised embroidery to translate ideas drawn from sketchbooks, photographs and found imagery, concentrating on bright colours, bold images and kitsch qualities. These fabric pieces are often worked into by hand using stitch, quilting and embellishment, producing three-dimensional characters as well as textile art pieces. Each art piece depicts an individual story; an insight into an experience, memory or fictional feeling.

Mandy has worked on and off at House of Haynes for over four years.