becca cecil

textile designer

Hi, I’m Becca, a textile designer based in Dundee, originally from Glasgow, with a specialism in machine knitting.I graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (DJCAD) with a First Class Honours degree in Textile Design. Before that, I studied Computer Arts at Abertay University for two years, where I developed a strong interest in digital media and visual storytelling.My work sits between traditional craft and technology — blending tactile processes like life drawing with digital techniques to create thoughtful, experimental textiles. At my degree show, I was proud to receive the Fife Contemporary New Maker Award, which recognised the direction and potential of my graduate collection. I'm passionate about using textiles as a tool for change—whether through sustainable materials, innovative design, or meaningful narratives.While sustainability wasn’t always achievable during my time at university, it’s something I value deeply and incorporate into my everyday life. I'm committed to continuing this focus in my future practice and using my platform to advocate for more responsible approaches in the creative industries.

Honours Project
'Can You See ME Now?'

Around 9 in 10 cases of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) go undiagnosed.Also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), ME is a complex, chronic, and debilitating disease characterised by extreme fatigue, cognitive impairment, sleep problems, and post-exertional malaise. While the exact cause is unknown, the symptoms are distinct and can significantly reduce quality of life. According to the National Institutes of Health’s analysis of funding and disease burden, ME is the most underfunded illness relative to its burden.This installation is a personal and emotional response to the lived experience of my mother, an ME sufferer for over a decade. Her journey has revealed the critical lack of research, education, funding, and public awareness surrounding this condition. With this project, I aim to spark conversations and increase awareness, provoking a much-needed change.Using textile design as both medium and message, this work merges data-driven design with expressive, tactile storytelling. The installation is informed directly by voices from the ME community, gathered through interviews where participants were asked two key questions: What colours do you associate with ME? What words would you use to describe it? Their answers—blue, black, grey; heavy, restricting, isolated, forgotten—shaped the visual language of the piece.These knits subtly embed data and statistics within their structure through variations in scale, colour, and form. Some samples resemble graphs; others evoke a broader atmosphere. To physically and psychologically convey the weight of the illness, I incorporated chains, curtain weights, and the scale of the showpiece enabled a weightiness through the sheer amount of fabric. Modular components, fastened with nuts and bolts, reflect fragmentation and restriction, mirroring the way ME disrupts lives. Colour gradients were used to create a dragging visual effect, while pops of vibrant colour represent hope and those brief moments of normalcy.Red features as an acknowledgement to the MEAction Network and their #millionsmissing campaign, which fights to bring visibility and justice to people with ME. Shades of blue and purple—drawn from interviews and representative of the ME Association—also appear throughout.Displayed on a body form, the installation is communicated in an accessible way, bringing the human condition to the forefront. It serves as a powerful reminder that behind this invisible illness is a real person. The fabric drapes heavily over the body, covering the neck and face, making you feel suffocated, invisible, and stuck, like you have no voice. Many people with ME are home - or bed-bound, unable to advocate for themselves – this installation speaks for them.This project is a call for recognition, understanding, and reform. Through craft and storytelling, Can You See ME Now? transforms awareness into action – and action into hope.

Degree Show 2025

Life Drawing

3D Work

Digital Work

Textile Work

photography

Achievements

becca cecil

Made with Carrd