Katherine May
Katherine works as a designer/researcher, examining the life of textile materials through research and making.
Staff details
Katherine works as a designer/researcher and facilitator examining the life of textile materials and objects through research and making.
Katherine uses acts of making as a tool to interrupt habitual behaviours, and to heighten awareness to material and social surroundings. Her projects explore performative and participatory methods in a variety of contexts from high streets, gardens, residential developments and community halls to gallery spaces and museums. Katherine trained in textile design (BA) at Chelsea College of Art and Design, and in material culture/design anthropology (MA) at University College London. Katherine has extensive teaching and mentoring experience in education institutes and in community/arts led education contexts, including work with The Crafts Council, Victoria and Albert Museum and The New Economics Foundation.
Publications and research outputs
Edited Book
- DDB 2024-2025 Park, Soomi ORCID logo
Book Section
- Blueprints: towards teaching fashion with care May, Katherine . 2025. Blueprints: towards teaching fashion with care. In: Daniëlle Bruggeman, ed. Practising Solidarity: Critical Fashion and Agency that Matters. Arnhem: ArtEZ Press. ISBN 9789491444753
- Blueprints for Common-ing with Fashion May, Katherine . 2023. Blueprints for Common-ing with Fashion. In: UNSPECIFIED, ed. Recipes for Connecting. A-Z Collective.
Article
- Notes on Fashion Constellations May, Katherine . 2022. Notes on Fashion Constellations. The Fashion Studies Journal, Partnership Issue,
Conference or Workshop Item
- Fashion Constellations: An open process and conversation on unmaking May, Katherine . 2024. 'Fashion Constellations: An open process and conversation on unmaking'. In: Fashion Constellations: An open process and conversation on unmaking.. Swedish School of Textiles, University of Boras, Sweden.
- Blueprints: towards de-fashioning education May, Katherine . 2023. 'Blueprints: towards de-fashioning education'. In: Blueprints: towards de-fashioning education. Berlin University of the Arts, Germany.
- Collective Cyanotype Workshop May, Katherine ; and Quin, Corinne . 2022. 'Collective Cyanotype Workshop'. In: Design Department Away Day 2022. Creekside Discovery Centre, London, United Kingdom 21 July 2022.
Art Object
- Studio Object Cyanotypes Wallpaper May, Katherine ; and Quin, Corinne . 2023. Studio Object Cyanotypes Wallpaper.
Printed Ephemera
- Design Collective Cyanotypes Publication May, Katherine ; and Quin, Corinne . 2023. Design Collective Cyanotypes Publication.
Project
- BULK May, Katherine . 2024. BULK.
- Seminar Series: Design Department Buffets (DDB) Park, Soomi ORCID logo
- Fashion Constellations May, Katherine . 2019. Fashion Constellations.
Show/Exhibition
- Fashion Constellations: Blueprints towards expanding fashion practice May, Katherine . 2020. Fashion Constellations: Blueprints towards expanding fashion practice. In: "Fashion Constellations: blueprints towards expanding fashion practice", Constance Howard Gallery, London, United Kingdom, 31 January - 26 March 2020.