Bec Kirby (b. 1992, Blackpool) is a painter and textile artist based in Manchester, UK. Her practice explores material manipulation and time-intensive processes. Rooted in ecology and sustainability, Kirby's work reflects on responsibility in making amid environmental and social uncertainty. Using antique fabrics and dead-stock yarns, she prioritises traceability, waste reduction and low-impact materials. Guided by an ethos of slow craft, supported by ongoing research into sustainable fibre systems and regenerative models.

After an early career in interior design, Kirby established her studio practice in 2020 without formal training, developing a distinctive approach through experimentation and independent research. Working exclusively with antique fabrics and surplus yarns, the work embraces the limitations and embedded histories of these materials as integral to the work.

Her recent series, developed with surplus mohair sourced from a local mill in Northern England, foregrounds the tactile and ephemeral nature of fibre, transformed through intensive brushing and hand-stitching.

Selected Exhibitions

2026 - Matières sous Pression - Galerie Orae, Brussels, Belgium (group)
2024 - HANDS - 8 Holland Street Gallery, curated by Wondering People, London (group)
2022 - In the Nicest Way Possible - Where the Light Gets In, Stockport (solo)
2022 - Tactile Interactions - Aboli Bibliot, curated by Objects & Sounds, Antwerp (group)
2022 - Super Futures - Selfridges, Manchester (group)

Press

2024 - The Sunday Times
2024 - The Standard
2022 - Enki Magazine
2021 - Elle Decoration
2020 - New Norm Mag 

for enquiries contact bec@soosumsee.com