Timorous Beasties will present Toile Tales at Musée de la Toile de Jouy, showcasing a retrospective exhibition alongside a collection of new toile designs.

Located between Paris and Versailles, the museum is dedicated to the art and craftsmanship of the Toile de Jouy textiles printed by the Oberkampf factory from 1760 to 1843. 

On display between 9 February and 19 May, Timorous Beasties’ retrospective exhibition – which will nod to the studio’s 2004 Glasgow Toile, depicting its home city through a Glaswegian lens of grit and gutter – will be accompanied by a new collection named Toile Tales. The studio has recruited writer Steven Dp Richardson to textually illustrate twenty Timorous Beasties toiles, one for each year since the Glasgow Toile, eight of which will be on display at the exhibition. With the occasional nod to Oberkampf’s production of Fontaine’s fables, the Toile Tales have been composed to tell enthralling stories, taking the audience out of time, suspending them in an ageless, indefinite realm. 

“We are excited to be presenting a new collection of work for Musée de la Toile de Jouy, marking 20 years since our first toile design,” says Paul Simmons, co-founder of Timorous Beasties. “From hand printing to digital craft design, we have been able to approach toile printing from a different perspective and yet achieve patterns closely resembling original toiles. In the absence of text, the story-telling power across time and place within the make-up of Toiles de Jouy resonates with us deeply and has set us on our own Toile Tales journey portrayed in this special exhibition.” 

Charlotte Duvivier-Lebrun, Director of Musée de la Toile de Jouy, adds: “Timorous Beasties has a subversive and original way to get to grips with Toile de Jouy and that’s what the museum’s team immediately liked about its creations. Working with the studio on building the exhibition helped us to improve our understanding and knowledge about contemporary textile design. This collaboration with Timorous Beasties shows that Toile de Jouy is still very modern and timeless.”