Ella Merriman is an artist, designer and craftswoman based in London. She works predominantly in rush, a traditional basket weaving material, to create pieces that she describes as being ‘love letters to Mother Earth’. Her work ponders the dissociation between so many of us and the natural world, and she is fascinated by the relationship between humans and plants. 

Her process of creation is a collaboration between the artist and material. As no human is the same, neither are the rush stems and Ella chooses to respect each one, working symbiotically with the plant to craft beautiful pieces. As a Londoner with minimal access to the great outdoors, she believes that her practice reunites her with the land and she finds a deep sense of belonging and grounding within her making process. 

Ella has worked as a creative and maker for many years but has recently discovered a deep connection to natural materials. The open dialogue between material and maker has allowed her practice to evolve from creating solely functional objects to sculptures and art. Ella graduated with a first class BA (Hons) from The School of Art, Architecture and Design in 2018 and has exhibited her work across the UK and Europe.