Multidisciplinary artist Benjamin Shine discusses his pioneering work with tulle to create ethereal three-dimensional portraits with New York Textile Months’ Philip Fimmano. Shine manipulates a single length of lightweight, fine-netted material to fabricate carefully formed faces and figures that suggest ideas of energy, impermanence and explore the relationship between the spiritual and the superficial.  

Shine's work has been exhibited at the Museum of Arts and Design, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Crafts Council UK, and The London Design Museum. Clients and collaborations include Givenchy, Maison Margiela, Bergdorf Goodman, Beyoncé, Barclays Wealth, Vogue, and Google. Shine has also won a number of awards including the Red Dot Design Award, The Enterprising Young Brit Award, and the Arts Export Award in Australia.

Contemporary fashion and lifestyle specialist Philip Fimmano contributes to Trend Union’s books, Bloom magazine and strategic studies for international brands. In 2011, Philip co-founded Talking Textiles with Lidewij Edelkoort. This ongoing initiative promotes awareness and innovation in textiles through touring exhibitions, publications and educational programs such as New York Textile Month. Philip currently mentors students in the Trend Forecasting Master’s program at Polimoda, a private fashion school in Florence. He also curates design exhibitions for museums and institutions and is currently co-curating a major exhibition for Lille, World Design Capital 2020.