Textiles have a long place in art history.
Many artists who create groundbreaking textile work are women.
But because these artworks tend to skew heavily female, amazing artists dont get the recognition they deserve.
This is slowly changing as attitudes towards art continue to shift.
Check out these contemporary textile artists to celebrate during Women’s History Month.
If this sounds like a meticulous process, it is.
“Broom Jumpers,” 2019 (quilted and appliquéd cotton, wool and chiffon | 58″ x 98″)
She finishes her work on a long-arm quilting machine.
Butlers work sheds light on what is dimmed in the scope of history.
My community has been marginalized for hundreds of years,she explains.
“Africa The Land Of Hope and Promise For Negro People’s of the World,” 2020 (cotton, silk, wool and velvet quilted and appliqué | 52 x 88 x 2 in)
It is only a few years ago that it was acknowledged that the White House was built by slaves.
I am expressing what I believe is the equal value of all humans.
This is not only in her imagerywith creations that look like coral reefsbut in the materials that she chooses.
“Spiralis”
The textile industry is one of the most polluting in the world,she writes.
Coral Garden
Ulla Stina-Wikander
Sweden-based artistUlla Stina-Wikandertransforms old household objects and turns them into art.
She takes outdated technolsuch as mixers, irons, and sewing machinesand covers them in vibrant cross-stitch designs.
“Coral Garden”
The cross-stitch textiles are themselves things she finds from flea markets and vintage stores.
By using them in this contemporary fashion, she is celebrating the women who created them by hand.
In Stina-Wikanders format, however, they take on new meaning.
My items become artifacts from a bygone era, disguised, dressed, and camouflaged.
I give them a second life in a new context.
The textures we typically associate with floor coverings take on a new, often more urgent meaning.
The colorful works utilize text and motifs including big cats and cobra snakes.
Simone creates narratives through cultural mythology, history, and personal landscapes.
The pieces often resemble nature.
“She Prevails” (60″ x 62″)
Kanat is deeply connected to her art, and it is reflected in her textiles.
For me, weaving projects a mood,she explains.
I follow my instinct to create designs that feel balanced.
“She Grows” (53″ x 63”)
I am very visual, always taking note of my surroundings and believe this is reflected in my work.
She is also open to experimentation and allows everything to unfold naturally.
I am always curious and attempt to change my techniques and patterns and continue to explore.
