In 2013, Textiles Hub London presented Frederick Etchells’s remarkable Ideal Home Exhibition Rug (1913) as part of The Geometrics exhibition and symposium, co-curated by Dr Emma Neuberg and curator Daisy McMullan. Marking the centenary of the Omega Workshops, the exhibition explored the continuing influence of early twentieth-century geometric abstraction on contemporary textile practice through exhibition, research and public discussion.

Today recognised as one of the key figures of British Modernism, Frederick Etchells worked across painting, textiles, furniture, graphic design and architecture before establishing himself as one of Britain’s most influential modernist architects. Associated with both the Omega Workshops and the Vorticist movement, his career embodied the interdisciplinary spirit that continues to inspire contemporary textile practice.

The Ideal Home Exhibition Rug is one of the most significant surviving textile designs from Etchells’s brief but important association with the Omega Workshops. Created for the 1913 Ideal Home Exhibition, its bold geometric composition, dynamic rhythm and sophisticated use of colour demonstrate how textiles became a vehicle for some of the most progressive artistic ideas emerging in Britain immediately before the First World War. The design anticipates the geometric abstraction that would become a defining characteristic of twentieth-century modernism while revealing the close dialogue between painting, architecture and the decorative arts that lay at the heart of the Omega Workshops.

Etchells’s work was presented by Daisy McMullan, then Curatorial Assistant at ChelseaSpace, University of the Arts London, home to an important Frederick Etchells archive. The symposium also featured Dr Alexandra Gerstein, Curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts, whose lecture, The Free Geometry of the Omega Workshops, 1913–1919, situated Etchells’s work within the wider history of British modernism and the Omega Workshops.

Since Textiles Hub London’s exhibition, scholarly interest in Etchells has continued to grow through new research into British Modernism, Vorticism and early twentieth-century architecture. His work is represented in major public collections including Tate, Art UK, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and archival collections relating to the Omega Workshops and British modernism. His career has also been reassessed through important publications, including Richard Cork’s landmark studies of Vorticism and Malcolm Dickson’s monograph on Frederick Etchells, recognising his contribution to the development of modern British architecture and design.

More than a historical survey, The Geometrics demonstrated Textiles Hub London’s commitment to connecting contemporary practitioners with the intellectual and material histories that continue to shape textile practice today. By presenting rare works alongside new research, curatorial interpretation and public discussion, the organisation encourages audiences to view textiles not simply as decorative objects, but as central contributors to the history of modern art, architecture and design.

Frederick Etchells’s inclusion within The Geometrics exemplifies Textiles Hub London’s wider curatorial approach: bringing together artists, designers, historians and museum professionals to generate new conversations across generations and disciplines. This commitment to research, scholarship and public engagement continues to underpin the organisation’s programmes and contributes to a richer understanding of textile culture within the broader history of visual art.

Discover more: ChelseaSpace Frederick Etchells Archive • Tate • Victoria and Albert Museum • Art UK