Lord Mayor Crest

This original design and embroidery was commissioned by Orbis Community as a gift to Lord Mayor Habib Rahman, the first non-white mayor of Newcastle, celebrating both his Geordie and Bangladeshi heritage. The design features the Newcastle crest, hand embroidered and appliquéd using reworked red satin, goldwork tiger stripes referencing Bangladesh's national animal, and the lotus flower, the national flower, rendered in a mixture of silk shading, appliqué and champagne goldwork embroidery. These hand embroidery techniques were chosen for their prestige and historic symbolism, traditionally signalling rank and status, combining traditional techniques such as essing and cutwork with more contemporary applications, such as using bullion to give dimension to silk shading. All fabrics used were off-cuts, including the black cotton twill background sourced from a local tailor, and the finished artwork was professionally framed at Details Art Centre in Newcastle, before being personally presented to Lord Mayor Habib Rahman in the mayoral chambers.