WATTS INDEXThe canonical database of visual culture

Artists›Katharine Hamnett

Katharine Hamnett

British, 1947

WA-00058545

Fashion Design

Representation

None documented

Institutional Exhibitions

Works in Collection

Assets Indexed

Authority-backed Facts

Publications Referenced

60%

Profile Completeness

Cultural Positioning

Influence Graph

No influence edges encoded yet.

Authority Records (1)

WikidataQ6376197

Field Verification (1 fields)

1 cross-verified · 0 single-source

Is PublishedManual· 100%✓

Source Registry (1)

Wikidata
Tier 1 · Institutional85%

About

Why this artist matters now

Katharine Hamnett is a British fashion designer and activist born in 1947. Known for large-scale screen-printed slogans on oversized garments, her work emerged in the 1980s as a direct fusion of wearable art and political messaging. Her designs often feature bold typographic statements addressing social and environmental issues, transforming the body into a platform for public discourse. Hamnett's approach redefined the relationship between fashion, protest, and personal identity during the postwar period.

Source: Wikidata · Trust score: 85% · Updated 8d ago

Graph relationships

Taste overlap and adjacency

Movement

—

Medium

Fashion Design

Related Artists

6 in graph

Canonical record

Artworks (10)

WattsOS

Hat

1974 · Skin, metal

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

WattsOS

Hat

1948 · Wool, pearls, silk

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

WattsOS

Cowboy hat

1943 · Wool, synthetic

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

WattsOS

Hat

1938 · straw, cotton, silk

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

WattsOS

Hat

1933 · Wool, hair

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bodhisattva of Compassion (Avalokiteshvara)

1647 · ivory

Overall: 29.2 cm (11 1/2 in.)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Vajrapani Embroidered Mount with Garuda

1600 · Opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on silk

Overall: 114.6 x 44.5 cm (45 1/8 x 17 1/2 in.)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Stove panel

1500 · Lead-glazed earthenware

Overall: 20 × 14 in. (50.8 × 35.6 cm)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Vajrapani and Garuda

1340 · Painting: gum tempera, gold, and silver on silk; lateral borders: silk damask with needleloop embroidery; top and bottom panels: embroidered silk, lead, and silver paper; curtain: silk tabby; dowels: wood, rawhide, and leather

Overall: 114.6 x 44.5 cm (45 1/8 x 17 1/2 in.)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Vajrapani Embroidered Mount with Garuda

1279 · Opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on silk

Overall: 40.6 x 6.7 cm (16 x 2 5/8 in.)

Cleveland Museum of Art

View all 10 artworks →

Artwork sources (2)

10 published of 10 catalogued · 5 with image

The Met
6 published1 img
Cleveland Museum of Art
4 published4 img

Per-Artwork Provenance Chains (top 4)

4 entries · 1 sources

Vajrapani and Garuda
1340 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number
Vajrapani Embroidered Mount with Garuda
1600 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number
Vajrapani Embroidered Mount with Garuda
1279 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number
Bodhisattva of Compassion (Avalokiteshvara)
1647 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number

Record

Images

Katharine Hamnett appearing on "After Dark", 11 March 1988 (cropped)

Wikimedia Commons (Instagram fallback)

Katharine Hamnett en los IED Design Awards 2019

Wikimedia Commons (Instagram fallback)

Katharine Hamnett appearing on "After Dark", 11 March 1988

Wikimedia Commons (Instagram fallback)

Artsy

Art Institute of Chicago

Record

Exhibitions and timeline

No exhibitions or timeline entries yet