Dimity Kidston is an Australian tapestry artist, ceramicist and visual arts educator whose practice celebrates the enduring value of handmade objects. Working primarily in handwoven tapestry, she creates richly detailed works inspired by the patterns, colours and rhythms of the natural world. Through the slow and meditative process of weaving, she explores the relationship between people, place and environment, creating artworks that reveal increasing complexity the longer they are lived with.

Raised on rural properties throughout the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Kidston spent her childhood immersed in nature and surrounded by space to experiment creatively. She was constantly making, lino printing, silk screening, sewing late into the night and embellishing her own clothes. Creativity was woven into family life. Her mother, artist Libby Hobbs, was an important creative mentor, while her sister, illustrator Binny Talib, was always drawing, making art a natural part of everyday life. Looking back, becoming an artist was never a conscious decision, it was simply where she felt most herself.

Kidston studied at the Australian National University School of Art, initially enrolling in ceramics before a lecturer recognised her affinity for pattern and surface and encouraged her to move into textiles. Ceramics remained an important part of her practice as a sub-major, establishing a lifelong dialogue between the two disciplines. During her degree she also studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Scotland.

Following university, Kidston established a studio in Sydney, producing commissioned works before embarking on a career in teaching. Throughout raising a family and working full-time as a visual arts educator, she has maintained an unwavering commitment to her own practice. There has always been a loom, sometimes large, sometimes small, but always present. Studio work happens in the quiet hours of early mornings, late nights and school holidays, reflecting a lifelong dedication to making.

Handwoven tapestry continues to captivate Kidston through its combination of technical precision and creative freedom. Beginning with a simple sketch, each work evolves through countless decisions made at the loom.

Alongside her tapestry practice, Kidston creates hand-decorated ceramics, bringing the same love of pattern, colour and craftsmanship to functional objects. Whether woven or ceramic, her work reflects a belief that beauty belongs in everyday life and that handmade objects can gather meaning over time.

In 2023, Kidston was commissioned by Netflix Australia to create a handwoven tapestry for its Winter Warmers campaign after being discovered through Instagram. The project introduced her work to a broad audience and highlighted the continuing relevance of tapestry within contemporary visual culture. She has also exhibited widely and her collaboration with Kevala Ceramics has further extended her distinctive decorative language into contemporary design.

Above all, Kidston hopes her artworks become companions in people’s lives. It is this enduring relationship between object and owner that continues to motivate her practice. She creates tapestries not simply to be admired, but to be lived with, works that quietly become part of a family’s story, revealing new details and new meanings for years to come.