Forgotten Fabric Scraps Find New Life as Charming Animal Sculptures

Textile Animal Sculptures by Bryony Rose Jennings

Artist Bryony Rose Jennings transforms forgotten fabric scraps into unexpected works of art. Like putting together a puzzle, she carefully chooses and stitches each textile scrap together until she creates a colorful animal sculpture. As a result, these whimsical handmade figurines are brimming with character.

An artist for most of her life, Jennings has a background in jewelry design. Then, about 14 years ago, she created a patchwork donkey with a friend using only reclaimed materials. This intensive project sparked a new creative direction for Jennings, and she has been making textile sculptures ever since. Ranging from large canines to small mice, these tactile creatures come in a variety of shapes and sizes. In most cases, the available materials help inspire the appearance of the subject.

“I love the feeling of being totally consumed by whatever it is I am working on, it’s easy to lose myself 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; my work seeks a feeling of life and soul. The animals come into being and they pull me in, there is a turning point with each sculpture I make, a moment when the personality appears and begins to direct its own evolution, it feels a bit like magic.”

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

You can find available sculptures for purchase via Jennings’s website, and keep up to date with the artists’ latest projects by following her on Instagram.