about

I am Margot Shiel, a creative and graphic designer working in Melbourne/Naarm. My works are primarily textiles and photography based, with a focus on the use of typographic elements in unexpected ways.

Historical garment making, photographic techniques and printing methods all inform the analogue side of my process, and research into these tactile practices forms the basis of all my work. While the physical and analogue come quite naturally to me, I am currently working on pushing the boundaries of my skills and expanding my digital capabilities. Through recent works I have explored animation, 3D modelling and even dipped my toe into creative coding.

I find these methods of creation much more challenging than, say, 18th century corsetry, but at the same time, that process of learning and fighting through the challenge has been immensely satisfying. Further, I now have far more avenues through which to articulate my ideas.

The thing that drives my practice is primarily a love of beauty. I also find the process of practicing and honing my own skills to be, in and of itself, rewarding. It may sound cheesy, but I do love the process of sewing a pair of pants or typesetting a magazine just as much as wearing the finished pair or holding the printed mag in my hand.