About Martha

I'm Martha Hussey — Hackney born (Stoke Newington, before it was trendy), now rooted in Queens Park, London. I trained as a painter in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins, but i wanted something more mobile that I could take with me  along the way, so thread became my palette.

I call myself a painter turned embroiderer, though "turned" isn't quite right — it's more that mending and drawing found each other. There's something in thread that paint could never say: the fragility of it, the fragility of us. One pull and it all unravels. Working this way demands patience. It's meditative, slow, attentive — the opposite of instant. I’m also fascinated by a line drawing coming to life through colour and texture, almost 3d as the light catches it in a way paint couldn’t.

My work follows maps. Not just the literal kind, but the hidden networks beneath things — underground systems of support, the way nature holds itself together out of sight. And the maps we're part of above ground too: neighborhoods, communities, the quiet ways we hold each other up. I'm drawn to the humor in people's quirks, their characters, then as a hyper aware observer and feeler, the micro-shifts in expression can shift the mood of a whole room, or a mood that most of us walk straight past. I notice everything.

Even markings on the road have become part of this language for me — x’s in the clouds where planes have crossed, x’s sprayed on the ground for gas works, small, ordinary marks that somehow offer a gentle comfort: proof that I'm where I'm meant to be, when I'm meant to be there.

Martha x

“If you don’t know her work, you should.

Marthas practice is epic and intricate, its mathematical and intuitive, but most of all its stunning to see.

She’s this ridiculously talented artist who often uses embroidery as her medium and in doing so challenges those transitional ideas and boundaries placed around textile work within the arts - the way embroidery has historically been defined as a hobby and rarely seen as a worthy medium for artistic expression.

it also invites us to reevaluate ideas around what constitutes ‘a woman’s work’ - past, present and future.

It highlights the overlap between sculpture and painting - ok it’s not flat but is it 3D? she also plays with scale some pieces are huge and some are delicately scaled minatures.

Thankfully there’s been a growing interest in textile work within the art world.”

-Jason Jules AKA Garmsville Curator of The missing thread Somerset house.

TESTIMONIALS

“I feel very lucky to have many of Marthas pieces in my house and clinic. They are constantly commented on and bring a huge amount of warmth and Joy as well. She is also a huge pleasure to work with and will go to the far ends to make sure her clients are happy!”

Ross J Barr

“ when I look at Martha’s work it always feels me with wonder and joy to see  how beautifully dreams can be constructed’   

Nick Gatensbury

“Martha’s work forms the absolute centrepiece of the restaurant at don’t tell dad.  It is textured, witty and smart, just like the artist herself.’

Daniel Land - don’t Tell Dad restaurant

“… The thing that I always come away with when I see a Martha Hussey piece, is how it made me feel. And it’s never just the one feeling. When you see it, in person, for the first time, you’re instantly blown away as to how much more it gifts you compared to what it looks like on a screen. I have seven individual pieces. The textures, the layers, the colours, there’s so much on offer that it’s hard to ignore. Everything I look for in art I find in a Martha Hussey original.”

Nicholas Pinnock

‘The care and detail comes through in every stitch. Martha’s artwork has become one of the most treasured items in the house, bringing happiness to everyone who visits.

We absolutely love Martha’s artwork. When I first saw it, I knew I had to own it and it’s a decision I get to appreciate everyday. Bright, bold and beautiful, it brings colour, joy and happiness into the house for all that get to experience it. Thank you Martha ❤️’

Charlie Johnson

Solo show at Three Rooms Gallery E17.

Other exhibitions include; The Royal Academy 2024, Jealous Gallery Shoreditch, Adlib Gallery Wimbledon village, Tube billboard poster on London Underground in association with Art Below, Edit Gallery Greenwich and Hackney Wick, Hook Gallery Westbourne Grove, Inky Fingers Hackney Wick, AAF Battersea and New York.

For inquiries, commissions, and available pieces, contact Martha via email at marthahussey@me.com

Instagram @marthahusseystudio.