Fabric Scraps Are Given New Life as Adorable Animal Sculptures

Bryony Rose Jennings turns discarded fabric scraps into unexpected works of art. She carefully selects and stitches each textile scrap together, much like a puzzle, until she has created a colourful animal sculpture. As a result, these whimsical handmade figurines are full of personality.

Jennings has been an artist for most of her life, with a background in jewellery design. Then, about 14 years ago, she and a friend made a patchwork donkey out of reclaimed materials. This intensive project inspired Jennings to pursue a new creative path, and she has been creating textile sculptures ever since. These tactile creatures come in a variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from large canines to small mice. In most cases, the available materials inspire the subject’s appearance.

“I love the feeling of being completely consumed by whatever I’m working on; it’s easy to get lost in the process, digging for the perfect piece of fraying fabric for an eyelash or the right leaf print to accentuate an ankle or a haunch,” Jennings tells My Modern Met. “I’m not looking for realism; I’m looking for a sense of life and soul in my work.” The animals appear and draw me in; there is a tipping point with each sculpture I create, a moment when the personality emerges and begins to direct its own evolution; it feels a little like magic.”

Jennings finds the process of creating the sculpture to be equally important to the finished product. “I am very fortunate to have found a way to make a living doing something I love; the journey has been unpredictable, as has my work and where it takes me, and that’s exactly how I like it,” she adds.

Bryony Rose Jennings’ whimsical animal sculptures are made from textile scraps.