Freddie Robins has won the prestigious Brenda M. King Prize for Critical Writing in Textiles 2025, awarded by The Textile Society, for her essay Softness is Power: A feminist discussion and subversion of softness.
“Within this essay Robins explores and questions the art world’s acceptance of the ‘soft stuff’. Despite the resurgence of interest in textiles in recent years, and the more prevalent utilisation of textiles by ‘fine artists’ as well as ‘textile artists’ it seems that there is still a reluctance to accept and acknowledge the physical characteristics of textile work. This ‘debate’ is not new, it has been discussed in many forums, but more from the craft and textile perspectives than from the fine art perspective. Freddie Robins’ essay demonstrates that this investigation is valid and ongoing, providing an interesting and pertinent summary of ‘soft stuff’ and how it is viewed within the contemporary art world.”
The essay will be published in The Textile Society’s annual journal Text No.52.