5 & 5 with Hadley Clark
Hadley Clark gives presence to absence; gives new purpose to old discards; gives form to thought. With an education in Painting (BFA, University of Kansas 2001) as well as in Garment Design and Construction (BFA Fashion Design with Honors, The New School | Parsons Paris 2010), Clark’s work exists in the middle distance between art and fashion.
See Studio Inc.’s resident artist Hadley Clark’s solo exhibition, open from September 12th until October 25th. First Friday opening exhibition September 12th from 5-8 pm. Artist Talk on September 13th, from 12-1 pm
Studios Inc. Assistant Gallery Manager Jaede Bayala recently interviewed Clark as part of our series highlighting Artists-in-Residence and their artistic process.
Q: How has your collaboration with other artists impacted you and your studio practice?
A: I feel like my whole career as an artist has been in collaboration. Having been grown as a small seedling on West 18th St in the early 2000s I was surrounded by creatives with their own projects, and was an extra set of hands. So the idea of collaboration is pretty expansive to me and I think as an artist you’re constantly in collaboration.
I just completed a collaborative project with the artist Steph Becker where we created a collection of botanically dyed and hand-painted garments which were intended to appear as a drawing of a garment when worn on the body. This specific collaboration has transcended mere concept and has become a real embodiment of teamwork. Some parts of the artistic process involves solitary decision-making, whether through research or intuition, that process ultimately leads to the outcome. Having someone as invested in the work as I am has been a gift, as it means I don't have to navigate those decisions alone. We completed our project last week and decided to create flat miniatures of the garments for the Flatfile exhibition at the Emily & Todd Voth Artspace. In this work we aim to actively create joy and use that joy as a form of protest. We dedicated full days to making these miniatures, not for monetary gain, but simply because we wanted to.
Q: What have been your major takeaways from teaching workshops?
A: The list of takeaways is endless and constantly shifting but I am continually reminded of the joy that stitching brings to me. When I offer this skillset to a larger group its mirrored back in their experience. This is what I love to give to others: the permission to explore their curiosity without the pressure of needing a “certificate” or approval from the world. They can simply sit on the floor and try something for themselves. It often turns out to be the simplest activities that are the most exhilarating to offer, especially in a world that can be so complicated.
Q: How has your relationship with your materials evolved over the last three years?
A: I don’t know if my relationship with my materials has changed. I am and have been with my materials in bed at home, I’m with it in the front seat of a road trip as a passenger, in a waiting room. What continues to evolve is my willingness to give myself permission to try—try to create something bigger, and try to make something that might fail.
Q: What have been your thoughts around preparing for your upcoming show in September?
A: Last year, I created a nearly invisible piece that was pivotal for me as my work is deeply rooted in technical skills. This technical foundation provides me with a sense of safety that allows me to explore various aspects of my practice. I didn’t realize how much I valued my technical abilities until I made that work out of a nearly ghostly material. When I hung it on the wall and stepped back to view it, I noticed that none of the technical elements were visible. I couldn't see my work, my pride, the very thing I believe I contribute to the world. I found that experience to be incredibly powerful. Since then, I’ve been reflecting on that moment and creating more pieces inspired by this notion. I aim to establish a world that feels. It's quiet, like a whisper.
Q: What are your plans after Studios Inc.?
A: I keep saying I’m graduating, and with that, I will keep showing up.
Hadley is teaching several workshops, in which you can find the information below.
Mending Workshop August 16th 1-3pm & Thursday September 25th 5:30-7:30 at the Nerman Museum
This workshop is initiated by an invitation by Amy Kligman as part of her exhibition The Salon for Possible Futures: Workshop Dates: August 16th, 1-3 pm & Thursday, September 25th, 5:30-7:30 at the Nerman Museum
Penland School of Craft July 13-25, 2025 Garment as Personal Archive
This is a concept-focused sewing workshop for students of all levels. Aided by technical demonstrations and ongoing conceptual discussions, students will imbue new layers of meaning, biography, color, and memory into textile-based, soft, personal goods, such as woven garments and domestic cloth. Instruction will include machine-sewing, fine garment finishings, hand-sewing techniques, and turning paper patterns into garments. Our goal will be to physicalize and record intentional acts of personal growth and renewal as wearable and experimental garments.
Surface Design Association Yardwork Workshop (online) September 27 – October 4, 2025
Our ability to make use of pieces from our past in order to generate the raw materials of our future is, I believe, our way forward. As an artist and garment designer, I have been using fabric donations as well as my own textile waste to make one-of-a-kind garments for the last ten-plus years. After the height of the summer, and as we walk into the fall season, give yourself permission to compose new yardage from all of those miscellaneous scraps, fabric remnants, worn-out garments, linens, and other soft materials you have been holding on to.
Yardwork will follow the structure of my own studio practice; we will begin with explorations of decorated scraps of textiles, proceed through cutting, piecing, stitching, and ironing, and complete with new yardage for future projects. Specifically, for this workshop, we will create a piece of collaged yardage to create a bag with a pdf paper pattern supplied to participants.
You can learn more about Hadley Clark at https://www.hadleyclark.com
