Biography
Luke Anthony Rooney is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, educator and researcher. Luke teaches on BA Fashion within Middlesex University as well as on Fashion and Textiles courses at other London institutions including Royal College of Art, London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins.
Luke's practice works predominantly with collage and textiles. Exploring the construction of identity through sexualised and iconic imagery juxtaposed with objects which reclaim discriminative discourse. Historical movements and moments in popular culture influence the work in their Art, Textiles and Fashion practice as as well as a high technical standard within design. Luke is a selected artist for Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2023 and had their first solo show at Parlour Gallery, London in 2023. Luke has presented works in galleries such as Camden Art Centre, FILET Gallery, Nunnery Gallery, Grundy Art Gallery and Coningsby Gallery among others. Luke has worked with brands such as Lyle and Scott, Roland Mouret, Louise Gray, Nazir Mazhar and Martine Rose.
Luke has shown seasonal fashion collections on schedule during London Fashion Week with On|Off Presents supported by the British Fashion Council and has received sponsorship from the likes of Christian Lacroix, Levis and Chloe. Luke collaborated each season with make up artist Andrew Gallimore and with Andrew Logan on jewellery. Luke's work has been featured in many international publications such as Italian Vogue, British Vogue, Czechoslovakian Vogue, Hunger Magazine, Wonderland, LOVE magazine, Schon and Textile View among others.
As an active researcher Luke has received three competitive research awards to visit America's Deep South and work with the artists of Gees Bend, Alabama. Other research has been to Native American communities in Arizona, Utah and Colorado as well as Indigenous communities within Vancouver. Luke's research looks at how textiles may be used to create protest within marginalised communities. Luke is an official researcher at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, to include the quilt archives at Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
