Today I would like to highlight some exceptional makers I have discovered over the years whose work bring me joy. I encourage you to check them out, and hope their work will inspire and amaze you as it has me!
Bisa Butler is a textile artist who does things with fabric and quilting I have never seen anywhere else. Focusing on portraits of African Americans that tell historically under-represented stories, her work has been featured in a number of museums as well as Vogue, The New York Times, and Smithsonian Magazine among others. Using vibrant fabrics and threads she somehow captures the spirit and character of the people in her incredible portraits.
Prudence Mapstone is the freeform fibre artist behind Knot Just Knitting, a website where she not only displays her freeform art, but also provides guides and tutorials so that others can do the same. Her technique typically involves creating small pieces of knitting and crochet into patches (which she calls ‘scrumbles’), which are then later combined into larger , often wearable, art pieces.
Vanessa Barragão creates stunning large, organic-looking art pieces using a combination of techniques including “latch hook, crochet, felt, weaving, embroidery, and macrame.” From her studio located in southern Portugal, her work focuses on messages of sustainability and environmentalism, especially within the textile industry. She was particularly inspired by trips to coral reefs in the Caribbean as a child, and this influence is clear within her art.
And last, but certainly not least, Dani Ives uses needle felting to creating incredibly realistic portraits of people and animals. Author of the book ‘Painting with Wool’, she also teaches classes and shows videos of her process on her Instagram account (@begoodnatured). My favourite piece of hers was a mouse standing on its back feet staring in wonder at a soap bubble, but her portraits of powerhouse women such as RBG and Jane Goodall (and all of her other works) are well worth checking out!
Is there fibre news you think would be good for this series? Send it to info@torontoknittersguild.ca to be included in future roundups.
