Jo Pilcher

Jo Pilcher is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Art and Media at the University of Brighton, where she is affiliated with the Centre for Design History. She teaches Design History within the 3D Design & Craft and Illustration programs, integrating decolonizing methodologies into her pedagogy. Her research and supervision focus on textiles, fashion, craft, and design, with a strong emphasis on postcolonial and Indigenous contexts.

Education:

• PhD in Aboriginal Australian Textile Design, University of Brighton (awarded June 2022)
• MA in History of Design, Royal College of Art (awarded July 2015)
• BA in Fine Art, University of Leeds (awarded July 2013)

Her research explores postcolonial making practices, particularly the embodied experience of material culture in Aboriginal Australian textiles. She investigates the politics of making, the relationship between maker and process, and the cultural significance of place and object. Pilcher often engages in material experimentation to access tacit knowledge, bridging academic research with hands-on practice.

Her recent publications from 2018 to 2024 reflect a consistent focus on Aboriginal Australian textiles, national identity, exhibition critique, and postcolonial agency. Themes include materiality, embodiment, cultural displacement, and the politics of display and collection in global contexts. Her work bridges design history, anthropology, and cultural theory.

Professional Activities:

• Member, Design History Society (from January 2025)
• Organiser, MeCCSA PGN 2021 Conference (September 2021)
• Visiting Lecturer, Royal College of Art (2018)
• Visiting Lecturer, University for the Creative Arts (2021–2022)

Pilcher welcomes PhD supervision inquiries in textiles, fashion, craft, and design, especially those engaging with postcolonial and decolonial frameworks. She has no listed grants, but her sustained research output and professional engagement indicate active scholarly contribution. Her work contributes to broader conversations on decolonizing design history and recentering Indigenous knowledge in material culture studies.