Jacob Monk’s work reinterprets the ikat process with exuberant colour and contemporary technique. Ikat is an ancient process of resist dying the threads before weaving them, forming patterns and images. Jacob also incorporates dip-dying, creating movement and flow between the colours.
Jacob’s mixing of colour is pivotal to his process, his palate inspired by anything from his emotion, tropical plants and birds, he says ‘a lot of the colours I use are based on my emotions…the colour palettes I use have become more vivid; I’m using more clashing colours, creating more contrast, more drama’. Before beginning his ikat weaves, Jacob uses watercolour to investigate colour, creating a flowing movement between each one, and then applies this to his final pieces.
Jacob studied a BA in Textile Design at Central Saint Martins, and then completed an MA in Textiles at Royal College of Art. He now works in his studio in Southeast London and has featured in several notable publication including House & Garden, Elle Deco and The Independent.