Treasures in Thread

From 12 November to 8 January, the Manuel Gamboa Temporary Exhibition Room at the S. José Cultural Centre in Lagoa hosts the Textile Art Exhibition 🧵Treasures in Thread🧶 by Sue Duncan.

Admission is free.

I have been fascinated by textiles since childhood. I grew up in a home with the concept of "finders keepers", and reusing materials became instinctive. This early sensitivity still shapes my work today. I am drawn to the tactile beauty of vintage and cultural fabrics, pieces with history, personality, and a life already lived. Many are too beautiful to cut, yet they continue to inspire me. Others become the foundation for new works, enriched with prints, dyes, overlays, and embroidery, both by hand and machine.

My creative practice is rooted in a love for design, patterns, and the rich textures found in natural and built environments. Travel and cultural exploration fuel my curiosity; exhibitions, landscapes, and unexpected visual moments often spark ideas. I am a keen observer; the colours in a landscape, a set of graffiti, or discarded materials can "speak" to me and suggest a new direction.

The move to southern Portugal has been transformative. The light, vibrant colours, and rich cultural heritage of the Algarve have changed my palette and broadened my perspective. My work continues to evolve as I respond to the textures, rhythms, and visual energy of this place.

I arrived at textile art after a long career in Human Resources. Although I once wished to attend an art school, it took me years to return to creating. Studying patchwork, quilting, and embroidery through City & Guilds — one weekend a month for seven years — gave me the confidence and technical foundation to develop my own voice. Additional training in printing and dyeing further expanded my mastery of techniques, allowing me to experiment freely with mixed techniques and fabric manipulation.

The exhibition Treasures Intertwined brings together works from different stages of this journey: quilting, contemporary textile art, three-dimensional pieces, and items that incorporate vintage or cultural textiles, beads, buttons, and found objects. Each piece invites the viewer to observe closely — to notice the layers, stitches, textures, and small details that reveal how the work has developed organically.

In addition to my work, the exhibition includes a small showcase of Arte Têxtil Algarve, a group I founded in Lagoa to support other artists exploring their own creative paths in textile art.

Above all, I hope you enjoy Treasures Interwoven; these exhibited pieces reflect my passion for textiles — their texture, their stories, and their infinite potential for reinvention. My aim is always to create reflective and distinctive works that continue to evolve with new ideas and the joy of creation. Sue Duncan.

The opening of the exhibition takes place on 12 November at 17:30 and entry is free.

From 13 November to 8 January, you can visit the Treasures in Thread textile art exhibition 🧵 for free 🧶 from Monday to Friday, between 9:30 AM and 12:00 PM and/or 2:30 PM and 5:00 PM, at the Manuel Gamboa Temporary Exhibition Room, in the S. José Cultural Centre, in Lagoa.

We look forward to your visit! ☺️🙌