Wrapped in Cold Hard Comfort features a slate quilt draped over a piece of furniture called a chaise longue. Walker uses slate in contrast to the softness that is usually associated with items made from textiles, such as blankets, quilts and clothing. Instead this material introduces opposing qualities of weight and solidity. Walker stitches into the slate’s hard surface as a determined act in the face of difficulty. For them this represents the daily resilience of people who live with chronic illness, disability or trauma.

Exposed to the elements, the sculpture is intended to evolve and will gradually deteriorate over time. The different materials and surfaces will show the varied traces of the weather across seasons as well as the activities of insects and wildlife. This ongoing interaction with the landscape is central to the work. The slow transformation of the slate, fabric, metal and thread reflects the passage of time. It stands as a metaphor for change and cycles of the human and natural worlds.

Andi Walker is a multidisciplinary artist based in Leeds, working across textiles, performance and socially engaged practice. Their work is rooted in quilt-making and garment forms. Wrapped in Cold Hard Comfort is Walker’s first outdoor sculpture and marks a new direction in their practice. They are exploring the techniques and language of textiles using new and unexpected materials.

Walker first collaborated with YSP in 2022 on the participatory project Stitched Stories, developed for the group exhibition On Queer Ground. The quilt that was made during this project was shown in the YSP Centre in 2023.

Courtesy the artist. Wrapped in Cold Hard Comfort is made possible by an Arts Council England.