Ruth Castle

Ruth Castle (née Main, born 9 April 1931) is a New Zealand weaver. Her work has been exhibited widely and is held in a range of public New Zealand institutions.

Early life and family Castle was born Ruth Main on 9 April 1931 in Matamata, the daughter of Elsie Kathleen Main (née Hall) and William Harold Main. She was educated at Waikato Diocesan School in Hamilton, and Epsom Girls' Grammar School in Auckland, before studying languages at Auckland University College between 1949 and 1951.

Career and practice In 1956, she became a handcrafts tutor for adults, during which time she developed her weaving skills.

In 1967, she travelled across several countries in Asia to investigate and observe weaving practices.

She was awarded a QEII Arts Council grant to travel to California and Mexico in 1981, studying the weaving techniques and materials of Native American weavers in California and Arizona, and weaving practices in Mexico. She also visited a range of museums where she was able to study their basket collections and be exposed to contemporary weaving practices. In 1989 she was made a life member of the Arts Council. She has exhibited with the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. In 2015 Objectspace staged a significant exhibition of Castle's work, curated by Dr Damian Skinner, designed to reflect her lifetime of weaving and give viewers an understanding of her process.

Castle uses a wide range of materials and techniques in her practice, and has two or three basic approaches to her work.

Selected exhibitions 1969, Len Castle and Ruth Castle, New Vision Gallery, Auckland 1969, Len Castle Pottery, Ruth Castle Basketry, Several Arts Gallery, Christchurch 1970, New Zealand Asian Exhibition, World Craft Council, Dublin, Ireland 1972, New Zealand Crafts 1972, International Tour 1974, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney 1979, CSA Gallery, Christchurch 1982, Suter Gallery, Nelson, (with basketmaker Willa Rogers) 1984, Baskets Galore, The Pumphouse, Takapuna, Auckland 1984, Kahurangi: Treasures from New Zealand, Pacific Asia Museum, Los Angeles 1988, World Expo, Brisbane 1989, Contemporary Basketry, Compendium Gallery, Devonport, Auckland 1993, Cave Rock Gallery, Christchurch 1995, NZ Craft in the 90s, New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington 1996, Panoply, The Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt 2015, Ruth Castle: Basketmaker, Objectspace, Auckland

Further sources Jenny Pattrick, Ruth Castle, New Zealand Crafts 9, March–April 1984 Damian Skinner, Ruth Castle, Basket Maker, Garland, 2015