Laura Nathan

Over the years, Laura’s family received documents connected to her grandparents’ experiences during the Holocaust. These documents were obtained with the support of The Weiner Holocaust Library, World Jewish Relief and Manchester Jewish Museum. Included are concentration camp documents, Medical Clearance Certificates, Registration slips, a Displaced Person’s Card and Post War documents. There are also personal letters including those sent via the Red Cross to Lauras Grandmother Alice Rubinstein from her parents. Laura explored this overwhelming collection of documents, printing them onto fabric, cutting them up line by line, then weaving them together. It was a laborious and difficult task and when viewing the resulting piece, it is hard to decipher the disjointed words which vary in language, format, and font. This emphasises the difficulties processing such information, and the acceptance that there will always be gaps within our histories. This sample piece paved the way to a 4 metre piece which incorporates every single document.

Artist Bio

I am a contemporary textiles artist and facilitator who explores identity, heritage and wellbeing, resulting in a greater sense of who we are, how we feel and our place in the world. Art has always been my greatest communication tool, helping me untangle feelings and weave narratives. It has also equipped me with the creative language to work with others. My work is heavily shaped by my cultural identity and I feel a strong connection towards using symbolic materials including historical documents and fabrics passed down from generations before. I strive to work with the most relevant symbolic materials and often but not exclusively these materials are textiles based.