Penny Maltby, visual artist and maker.
Penny Maltby is a British textile artist and straw worker whose practice explores the quiet beauty of traditional craft through a contemporary lens. Working with natural fibres, and heritage techniques, Penny creates pieces that celebrate both material and process.
Her work draws from a deep appreciation of the land, often inspired by rural landscapes, historical folk traditions, and the slow rhythms of seasonal change. Whether weaving with straw or stitching with cloth, Penny’s approach is meditative and grounded in sustainability, honouring time-honoured methods while allowing space for innovation and expression.
As a straw worker, Penny uses techniques such as plaiting, corn dolly making, and decorative knotting—crafts historically rooted in agricultural customs. In her textile work, she combines hand painted imagery with digital techniques to produce contemporary textiles that echo memory, aesthetics. place, and nature of these crafts.
Her pieces range from intimate objects to larger installations and have been shown in galleries, craft fairs, and community settings. Alongside her practice, under the moniker ‘Ministry of Straw’ Penny shares her skills through workshops and collaborations, helping to keep traditional crafts alive and accessible.
Penny also teaches creative bookmaking and artists book making at summer schools and to craft groups across the UK. To find out more about her bookmaking pls look here
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Memberships
Basketmakers Association ,Oxfordshire Basketmakers, Heritage Crafts, Prism Textiles
Biography
Penny’s work is concerned with the process of making and intangible cultural heritage. She is interested in using traditional crafts in new settings bringing them to new audiences and working in a range of materials. Her first career was in Hospitality, Hotels and Restaurants although she carried a lifelong love of making, sewing and embroidery from an early age. A desire for a change in direction led her to pursue a creative career full time. She is a member of Prism Textiles, Design nation, Heritage Crafts and the Basketmakers Association. She works from a studio in Oxford.
Penny teaches regular workshops at venues such as Oxford Summer school as well as demonstrating at various craft events.
CV & Education
Education
2015 - 2017 - BA Hons (1st class) Creative Arts & Design Practice (Oxford Brookes University)
2012 - 2015 - Foundation Degree (Distinction) Creative Arts & Design Practice (Oxford Brookes University)
2010 - 2012 - Advanced Embroidery Workshop (Windsor School of Textile Art)
2008 - 2010 - City and Guilds Level 3 Diploma in Design and Craft – Stitched Textiles, Embroidery (Windsor School of Textile Art)
2005 - 2007 - City and Guilds Level 3 Certificate in Design and Craft – Stitched Textiles, Embroidery (Abingdon & Witney College)
1986 - Post Graduate Diploma in Hotel and Catering Management (Manchester Metropolitan University)
1985 - HND Business Studies (Manchester Metropolitan University)
Professional Experience
2021 - ongoing - Straw Skills Workshops - including corn dollies, public and corporate. Clients include : Oxford University, Pitt Rivers Museum, Historic England, Hemingway Designs, Milton Keynes Arts Centre, Oxford Sumer School, Gerrard’s Cross Summer School, Oxfordshire Basketmakers, Basketmakers Association and many more
2021 - ongoing- Private commission for TV & Film - specialist Straw Work
2021 - Founded Ministry of Straw (www.ministryofstraw.co.uk) (May)
2021 - Oxford Brookes Enterprise Support Sparks Programme Winner for Ministry of Straw (April)
2019 - 2022 - Collaborative work as Associate Artist on “I am a work in progress” / The art of living with(out) drug at The Constance Howard Gallery, Goldsmiths University.
2018/2019 - Visiting Specialist Lecturer, Oxford Brookes University
2018/2019 - AA2A Residency, Buckingham New University, High Wycombe
2018 - Artist Mentor for Our Place Project, Arts at the Old Fire Station, Oxford
2012-2015 - Volunteer in the Textiles tent at annual Art in Action Festival, Waterperry, Oxfordshire
2024 Past Events
Church Farm Christmas in the Barn, Sunningwell, Abingdon 14th December, 10-4pm
Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair Online Event
Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair online event 7-9 Dec
Sandy Lane Farm 29th November
Milton Cotswold Market 1st December
23 + 24 November -Modern Makers Market, 10 - 4pm, Yattenden Village Hall, Church Lane, Yattenden, Thatcham RG18 0UE
17th - 20th October- Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair
14th & 15th September -Made by Hand: Heritage Crafts and Skills. Weald and Downland Museum
https://www.wealddown.co.uk/events/made-by-hand-heritage-crafts/
21st September - Drop in family event,Harvest Knot workshop, Kelmscott Manor
https://www.greatnorthernevents.co.uk
17th May - 15th June- ‘Remembering the Past: Creating The Future’
Studio Neath, 40 Queen Street Neath SA11 1DL
South Wales UK
Sunday 19th May - Urban Village Festival - drop in straw workshops. Textiles and straw work also for sale See here for details
Edgelands, Prism textiles group exhibition, 19th - 29th April at The Art Pavilion, Mile End Park, Clinton Road, E3 4QY For more info visit https://www.prismtextiles.co.uk
Saturday 27th April -Oxford Harcourt Arboretum Spring Fair - drop in straw workshops.10am - 4pm. See here for more info and workshop times
2023
Straw Skills workshops at various locations across the year including Oxford Summer School, Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxfordshire Basket Makers, private events and commissions.
2022
‘Straw Skills Workshops’ - through 2022: contact pennymaltbymaker@gmail.com for themes and dates.
‘I am a work in progress’ at The Constance Howard Gallery, Goldsmiths University, 7th February - 25th March 2022
Associate Artist on “I am a work in progress” / The art of living with(out) drugs. This is a collaboration between a researcher, two artists, Isla Miller and Penny Maltby, and seven research participants. It forms part of an early-career research project led by Dr Fay Dennis and funded by the Wellcome Trust entitled ‘Mapping bodies and care practices: Making people who use drugs matter’
2021
In Search of Possibilities’ 21st - 31st October 2021, Prism Group Textiles Exhibition, The Art Pavilion, Mile End, London E3 4QY
‘Straw Skills Workshops’ - including corn dollies, Julbock (Swedish Christmas goat) - public and corporate (June - December 2021)
2020
Contributor to ‘Out of the Blue’ by Susan Aldworth, part of the ‘Illuminating the Self' Exhibition at The Hatton Gallery, Newcastle. 18th Jan to 9th May 2020
Link to notes from some of the 100 embroiderers who contributed to the project.
2019
‘AA2A Exhibition’, End of residency exhibition at Bucks New Uni, High Wycombe. Part of the Artists Access to Art Schools residency Scheme.
2018
‘Our Place’, The Gallery, The Old Fire Station, 40 George Street, Oxford, 16th November to 22nd December.
'The Art of Labor' Selected artist , July 22nd - October 14th 2018. San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, California 95113, USA.
'In My Hands' 27th September - 1st October 2018. Solo exhibition Magdalen Road Studios, Oxford.
Prism Textiles 'Transient' 30th May - 10th June 2018. Hoxton Arches, Arch 402. Cremer Street, London E2 8HD
'Processions' Selected Associate Artist to work with Modern Art Oxford to create a banner commissioned by The Artichoke Trust for PROCESSION on June 10th 2018
2017
'We Made This' , Pop up Exhibition, The Haven,Church Lane, Banbury May, 2017, Graduate Exhibition
2016
'Third Space' - OVADA, Oxford July 1- 17, 2016, group exhibition.
'Artopology', The Adavo Collection, Pitt Rivers Museum , Oxford March 24, 2016, one day pop up group exhibition in conjunction with Ovada.
2015
'Thinking/making, Does making help creative thinking?' Curious Projects Gallery, Eastbourne. Dec 5 2015 - Feb 5, 2016. Selected exhibition.
‘Milking the Dairy Industry’ Castle Quay, Banbury May 19- 6, 2015,group exhibition.
'Reinventing Research, The messy process' The Glass Tank, Oxford Brookes University, April 21-May 1 2015. Selected exhibition
'BABE' Arnolfini Centre for Contemporary Arts, Bristol, April 11-12, 2015, Artist Book Event
2014
‘Visualising the Invisible' Castle Quay, Pop-up Exhibition, Banbury, May 23-May 30, 2014
2012
Windsor School of Textile Arts Summer Show, South Hill Park Arts Centre, Ringmead, Bracknell, Berkshire Advanced Textile Workshop summer show
PUBLICATIONS
Bookmarks Project, XIII, XIV, XV. (2015-2017) in conjunction with UWE
Artists Book Yearbook 2016-17
biennial reference publication focusing on international activity in the field of book art .
Penny Maltby, Be the change
Article for Wovember.com. 22nd November 2016
Get Published Research Conference
Oxford Brookes University, 15th April 2016
Memberships
Heritage Crafts, Oxfordshire Basketmakers, Basketmakers Association, Guild of Strawcraftsmen,
Selected Memberships
2024 - Design Nation
2017 - Prism Textiles.
