Step inside our new front of house space Ffwrnais and you’ll be relaxing amongst our beautiful cushions. These striking pieces were created especially for our new lounge and bar area by local designer and hand weaver Llio James.

We visited Llio in her studio in Splott, where she shared her inspirations for our cushions, the design process and her reaction to seeing them at home in the national arts centre for Wales.

The work seen in the Ffwrnais area is a new body of work designed specifically for the Wales Millennium Centre. Inspired by maritime signal flags. Instantly recognizable for their contrasting sharp, geometric angles and shapes the designed fabric has been used for cushions covers in a contemporary and fresh colour palette. The work is also reflected in bespoke art pieces by Llio seen around the Centre.

The wall pieces are inspired by traditional Welsh textile designs using the colour palette of the WMC building with particular attention to the oxidized copper roof and slate walls.

Llio James originally from Talybont, Ceredigion is a graduate of weaving from Manchester School of Art (2009) with a Masters in Design: Fashion & Textiles from Bath Spa University. Llio has since worked within the textile industry in New York, Scotland, England and Wales. Today, Llio works from her studio in Cardiff, using a traditional dobby loom. Designing the cloth in studio and produced at local mills in Wales and England.