We’re delighted to announce the commissioned artist ahead of Desire in the Archive, an exhibition coming to Phoenix Arts Space early 2027, celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the partial descriminalisation of Homosexuality in the UK.

“Luke’s response to the Desire in the Archive commission was thoughtful and thematically rich. I am fascinated by his work and process and excited to spend the coming months supporting him as he works towards his exhibition in the Main Gallery at Phoenix Art Space” – Laurence Hill, curator, Phoenix Art Space

Artist Bio

Luke Anthony Rooney is an interdisciplinary artist who works predominantly with collage and textiles. Luke’s practice lies within protest collage and reclaiming discourse associated with discrimination and challenging the identity of objects.

With a background within the field of Fashion and Textiles, Luke had an eponymous design label, showing collections on schedule during London Fashion Week before merging his work into a Fine Art Textiles context.
<brLuke was a selected artist for Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2023, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2026, with a presentation at London Craft Week 2024 Lukes latest fashion collection at London Fashion Week 2025 was a direct output of his research with the women of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. Luke’s research is centred around how marginalised communities use textiles to communicate nonverbally through protest, semiotics and storytelling. This research has taken them across America to quilt with the women of Gees Bend in Alabama and Mississippi as well as exploring textiles and creativity on Native American reservations in Arizona, Colorado, Utah and in British Columbia, Canada. As well as an artist residency in Guatemala.

Luke is an official researcher of the state of Mississippi with the Mississippi department of archives and history. Luke is a Lecturer in Textiles at Royal College of Art and Fashion Textiles University of Arts London and was previously BA Year 3 Lead at Middlesex University. They have delivered lectures at Universities such as Maryland Institute College of Art, Arts University Bournemouth, Central St Martins and London College of Fashion.

Click here for an interview with Luke and his thoughts and feelings around this commission.