Hi, I’m Teän, the artist behind Distant Island Story.
An eleventh-generation Scillonian, I grew up on the islands of St Mary’s and Gugh, but had a strong desire to see more of the world beyond the archipelago.
I moved away to the mainland to continue my studies aged sixteen an went on to study at the London College of Fashion. After ten years spent working in the fashion industry, despite feeling a lot of love for the city, I felt more and more that something was missing… So, in 2019 I left the fast pace of London life behind to return to Scilly - to lead a slower, fuller an more creative life.
The technique I use is a camera-less photographic technique called ‘cyanotype’ - a very old photographic technique where objects are placed on top of light-sensitive material and leave their impression behind when exposed to the sun.
I create work using natural found objects collected from around the islands - mostly plants, shells an other curiosities washed up on the shoreline. I place these collected objects on light-sensitive paper or fabric - always sourced sustainably - and expose them to light, which leaves only the shadow of the object behind on the paper.
I then lovingly hand-frame these one-off images, or take the fabric an craft it into textiles pieces using patterns I design myself. I always tweak an vary these slightly to best suit each individual print, making each piece entirely unique.
I’m also available for commissions, so If you are missing something special about Scilly an would like a cyanotype of your favourite flower or shell, or something from your favourite beach, please drop me an email and I can make something entirely unique for you.
Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions at all. And if you're interested you can follow further exploits from my Distant Island Story on Instagram an Facebook using the links below - thank-you so much for your support.
Contact Info :
Instagram @distant.island.story
Email: teanroberts@gmail.com
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