Daisy Parris, a 32-year-old painter once dubbed an "IBA" (Instagram British Artist) by Elle magazine, is navigating post-pandemic art market success by pursuing experimental textile work. Their painting sold for $254,000 at Phillips in September 2024, eight times its estimate. To coincide with Frieze London, Parris debuts "Kiss the Storm," a 16-foot-wide hand-knotted wool textile created with Textorial, an initiative by Artwise Curators, on view at the Royal College of Physicians from October 14–16. The piece incorporates painted canvas scraps and embroidered text, reflecting Parris's shift toward medium experimentation alongside their signature large-scale canvases.
This matters because Parris exemplifies a generation of artists who achieved rapid fame through social media and pandemic-era market booms, now grappling with sustainability and artistic integrity. Their move into textiles—a collaboration with a new initiative—signals a broader trend of artists diversifying mediums to avoid creative burnout. The article also highlights the tension between commercial success and honest practice, as Parris prioritizes secret, experimental work over the style that brought them acclaim, offering a case study in navigating contemporary art-world pressures.