Bible Textile Art Debuts at Beverley Minster

The exhibition, by textile artist Jacqui Parkinson, features two distinct series: "Threads through Creation" and "Threads through the Cross". "Threads through Creation" consists of twelve large textile panels that depict the story of Genesis, while "Threads through the Cross" includes eighteen panels illustrating Jesus' life, crucifixion, and resurrection. This display is considered one of the largest textile projects by a single artist, and potentially the largest in 600 years. The complete three-part "Threads through the Bible" series, which also includes a collection on Revelation, took ten years to create and comprises 44 panels with over 25 million stitches. If laid side-by-side, the panels would extend over 80 meters. Parkinson utilizes a vibrant mix of materials, including layers of silk, hand-dyed fabrics, metallic leathers, and gold leaf to create the intricate and colorful panels. The "Threads through Creation" series alone involved more than eight million stitches and took nearly three years to complete. Before her career in textile art, Jacqui Parkinson taught drama and co-founded the Lantern Arts Centre in London. She credits her background in theatre, with its large-scale storytelling and visual sets, as an influence on the immense scale of her current textile work. Her Christian faith is the primary creative driver for her art. The exhibition is on display at Beverley Minster from March 4 to April 22, 2026, with free admission. This is part of a wider tour for Parkinson's work, which has been exhibited in various cathedrals across the UK and seen by hundreds of thousands of visitors.