BA (Hons) Textiles & Surface Design student Sophie Risdale is the recipient of this year’s The Gary Pearson Award (For Breaking Boundaries) 2026.

This award is presented in memory of Gary Pearson, a student who explored and pushed boundaries, whether personal, technical, visual or conceptual. During his time studying with us, Gary was on a personal journey of self-discovery, and this award is presented annually to a student who we feel has explored their own path, been brave and independent, questioned their personal practice, and broken boundaries in their own journey.

Lecturers commented: “This student has developed her design skills throughout her time with us to become a confident, commercial surface pattern designer,” the judges said. “She has had 100% attendance throughout her degree and has worked with absolute commitment to her studies, putting in a huge amount of time and effort. Her love of pattern and colour is delightful.”

Reacting to winning the award, Sophie, 21, from Redcar, said: “I was so emotional, excited and proud. It all came to me suddenly.”

Sophie describes her Final Major Project as, “a hybrid concept of two aesthetics from different time periods – Coquette-core, a hyper-feminine internet aesthetic, and Memphis design, a 1980s art movement involving bold colour palettes and maximalism. Despite the differences between the two themes, I chose to combine them to demonstrate a high contrast that would prove that, although they differ, it is possible to unify them. Notably, the collection includes a long swatch book, which displays the main pattern designs with alternative colourways for easy selection depending on customers’ preferences.”

Reflecting on her time on the course, Sophie said: “Overall, I enjoyed my time at The Northern School of Art. Over the three years, I developed skills in hand-rendered and digital pattern repeat design for fabrics, becoming particularly interested in digital design and sublimation printing, which I aim to use in a career in surface design.”

When asked what advice she would give to future students, Sophie said: “Personally, I would tell future students to be kinder to themselves, keep pushing as much as possible, and never give up when things become too chaotic to handle. I first came onto this course feeling insecure about my abilities in hand-rendered drawing and would constantly compare my skills to those of my peers. Doing that will not encourage you to do your best. Focus on yourself rather than on what other people are doing.”

Keep up to date with Sophies work on Instagram: @sophspatterns and on her Artsthread.

The Northern School of Art’s exciting and innovative degree BA (Hons) Textiles & Surface Design degree offers students exceptional studios, workshops and resources. Find out more HERE