We are proud to present a retrospective exhibition of Sheila Landi’s work, tracing her artistic journey from her earliest pieces as a student to those completed just before her death. This collection offers a rare glimpse into the creative evolution of a remarkable woman whose life bridged two distinct yet intertwined careers: that of a painter and a pioneer in textile conservation.

Sheila Landi was born Sheila Fokes in 1929. After what she always described as a very good basic education, she went on to study at Kingston Art School, completing a two-year foundation course followed by a National Diploma in Design, specialising in painting. Degrees in art did not exist at the time, but her talent and dedication earned her a scholarship to the Royal Academy Schools—modest in financial terms (£148 per annum), yet life-changing in opportunity.

In 1953 she became Sheila Landi and began a career as a painter, supporting herself through an array of creative and practical jobs—from modelling at the Art School and teaching, to mould-making for plastic shoes and designing candlewick bedspreads. But in 1963, she sought something more stable—and, by chance, found herself in the Textile Conservation Department at the Victoria and Albert Museum. What began as a pragmatic shift quickly became a new vocation. Over the next decade, Sheila helped define the standards of textile conservation in the UK and beyond, becoming Head of Section in 1972, a position she held until her retirement in 1989.

Faced with the challenge of balancing painting and conservation, Sheila ultimately chose the latter. She believed she had more to contribute to preserving the textile heritage of this country—and time has proven her right. After retiring, she continued her work through the original Textile Conservation Consultancy, which lives on today as The Landi Company, still training and inspiring the next generation of conservators.