Oliver Bliss is a practicing artist who uses textiles to explore themes of identity, sexuality, and gender. He currently has work exhibited in ‘Made in the Middle’ with Craftspace, an exhibition celebrating artists in the Midlands. He lives in Worcester with his partner Craig and two cats, Arti and Otto.
www.oliverbliss.blogspot.com
@olybliss
Artist Statement for Warped and Wasted
‘I’ve always collected scraps from past projects, along with materials gifted by family and friends who hoped I’d reuse them rather than see them discarded. This accumulation sparked my interest in creatively repurposing waste to produce experimental work that challenges my practice. Our discussions made me realise I hadn’t fully considered the environmental impact of my materials – like thread, which is often globally manufactured and transported. While I’ve mostly used second-hand supplies, I haven’t been consistently mindful of the full lifecycle of what I use – from sourcing to disposal. This project is helping me rethink sustainability in my creative process.’
Details of individual works
Experiment 1 (untitled), 2025
Materials: Mixed fabrics from Oly’s stash
This work references looking up a domed spire with pillars
Experiment 2 (untitled), 2025
Materials: 5 litre bottles of Gravelhold pour on- eco resin, plastic 2 litre bottles of soda, fabric scraps, yellow neon thread, series of 7 plus a skull
Experiment 3 (untitled), 2025
Materials: Plain fabric and thread from Oly’s stash, waste selvedges from Angie Parker’s Bristol Blankets
Dimensions: 100cm x 90cm
Experiment 7 (untitled), 2025
Materials: Mixed fabrics from Oly’s stash, plaited and hand knitted
Experiment 7 (untitled), 2025, installation views
Experiment 9 (untitled), 2025
Materials: Left over threads, cloth from Oly’s stash
Dimensions: 60cm x 60cm
Dark abstract landscape. A quilted square piece, from an abandoned old piece using left over threads as embellishment.
Experiment 12 (untitled), 2025
Materials: Mixed fabrics from Oly’s stash.
Experiment 12 (untitled), 2025, detailed views
Experiment 13 (untitled), 2025
Materials: 2 litre pop bottles, fabric scraps, yellow neon thread.
Created in a workshop delivered with Behind the Smile. A collection of 12 contributing participants work, sewn together to form a waste quilt.
Further research and development not in the exhibition
Experiment 4 (untitled), 2025
Materials: Faux Gingham cloth, woven denim, yellow karate belts, waste selvedges from Angie Parker’s Bristol Blankets and old scraps from previous projects
Dimensions: 230 x 90cm
Experiment 5 (untitled), 2025
Materials: Mixed fabrics, yellow karate belts
130cm x 90cm
Experiment 6 (untitled), 2025
Materials: Pompom chain made from pompoms from Behind the Smile art workshops for Xmas tree decorations,
Dimensions: 120cm x 20cm
Experiment 11, (Marie Antoinette), 2025
Materials: Cloth and threads from Oly’s stash
seam 