Ptolemy Mann established her studio after graduating from Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art in 1997. Her unique approach to hand-dyeing and weaving wall-based artworks has evolved over a twenty-five-year period. She dyes the long skeins of thread and then weaves them on a loom, embedding colour into the cloth itself. Exquisite dynamics of colour move across their fine surface, creating a painterly sweep. Mann makes large-scale pieces that demonstrate a deep understanding of craftsmanship and precision through an abstract narrative. The term ‘chromatic minimalism’ has been applied to her work, and abstract expressionism and architecture are crucial influences.

In recent years, Mann has been making huge gestural paintings on watercolour paper and canvas exploring the connections between thread and pigment. Mann is interested in the relationships between colours and their affective potential. For her, painting is an expression of the material and emotional worlds.

In 2021 Mann made the bold decision to combine her weaving and painting practices in the Thread Paintings, applying spontaneous brushstrokes of acrylic paint directly onto a carefully hand-woven surface. Optical effects and natural phenomena inspire her to explore the possibilities of her chosen materials: dye, thread, paper and paint. Through their rapid and/or laborious application, she creates a multi-layered meditation on light and colour.

In 2019 Mann was commissioned by the Tate Modern Gallery in London to create a site-specific woven triptych called Circadian Rhythm. In addition, she has completed many site-specific art installations and has exhibited worldwide. She lectures regularly throughout the UK and abroad, writes for the magazine Selvedge.