Margaret Howell 2026 Calendar & Exhibition: Peter Collingwood – Macrogauze Wall Hangings (1922-2008)
Margaret Howell is pleased to announce an exhibition of Macrogauze wall hangings by Peter Collingwood (1922–2008), regarded as one of the most important weavers of the 20th century. A selection of Macrogauze wall hangings will also feature in the 2026 Margaret Howell Calendar. You can also read all about the current calendar that celebrates Lucienne Day’s Silk Mosaics, here.
Peter Collingwood at his workshop at Nayland, Suffolk From the collections of the Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts CWP
Friday 10 October – Sunday 2 November
The exhibition will be held at 34 Wigmore Street, W1, showcasing works from the 1960s to the early 2000s. Bringing together a focused selection of Macrogauze wall hangings from private and institutional collections, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to view these intricate works up close.
Calendar contents: March – Macrogauze M3D 6_A designed c.1970, August – Macrogauze M132, designed c.1973 & May – Macrogauze M33, designed c.1968
Collingwood trained in medicine before turning to weaving in the 1950s, studying with key figures in British craft. His early rugs and textiles gained recognition among leading designers and collectors.
Peter Collingwood at Nayland, Suffolk (Crossing the rigid heddles when making a macrogauze) From the collections of the Crafts Study Centre, CWP_10_4_40
In the 1960s, he began developing the Macrogauze technique — an open-structure weave using specially built looms and rigid heddles to create geometric wall hangings of exceptional clarity and precision. These works broke with traditional textile forms, often incorporating steel or wooden rods to form minimal, sculptural pieces.
Calendar contents: December – Macrogauze M217, designed c.1985, November – Macrogauze M113, designed c.1972 & June – Macrogauze M3D 6:3, designed c.1970
Collingwood’s approach combined structural experimentation with refined aesthetic control, and his hangings were commissioned for public buildings, embassies, and private homes around the world. He exhibited widely and published extensively throughout his life.
Three-Dimensional Macrogauze for New Library, Welwyn Garden City [c.1965] From the collections of the Crafts Study Centre COL_8_10
Today, Collingwood’s work is held in the collections of Tate Modern, Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, among others.
“The graphic quality of Peter Collingwood’s weavings has always appealed to me. They feel modern but grounded — shaped by a deep understanding of material, and a belief in what can be achieved through simple means and thoughtful design.”
— Margaret Howell