“African-American quilts are not simply a set of colours, techniques, or patterns. They’re a celebration of culture by artists who understand and love it best.” Ellison Langford, Scalawag Magazine, 2019 If anyone word could define today’s flourishing culture of African American quilts, it would be ‘diverse.’ Pattern styles are diverse, ranging from densely worked abstract…
All posts by Rosie Lesso
“The best of these designs are so eye-poppingly gorgeous that it’s hard to know how to begin to account for them. But then, good art can never be fully accounted for, just described…” Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 2002 Brilliantly eccentric and ludicrously inventive, the multi-generational quilts emerging from Boykin, colloquially known as Gee’s Bend,…
EXCALIBUR Linen’s silent grey hangs in the very air of Gwen John’s paintings, hovering around her lonely interiors like a dark, muffling mist. Best known for her portraits of pensive women in close tones of grey, brown and beige, John masterfully grasped the power of understatement, capturing private moments of reflection in these sitters that…
By the end of the American Civil War in 1865, quilting was an established practice across African American communities. But as emancipation gradually emerged, so, too did new approaches to quilting, which shifted and adapted to suit the changing times. No one overarching style ruled, but some of the most celebrated quilts of the era…
REDWOOD linen’s deep, throaty red encircles Vigee Le Brun’s subjects, swooping flames of scorching fire around their hair, waists and bodies. Best known as court painter to Marie Antoinette, French 18th century artist Vigee Le Brun was one of the leading portraitists of her day, capturing European aristocrats, actors and writers with her distinctively stylised,…
The strong tradition of African American quilting has existed ever since the dawn of America. Quilts from this period are bound into horrific acts of slavery, a reminder of the terrors that shaped the past and left ripples of trauma throughout history. But they also speak of courage and determination under fire, of people who…
Pale, sugary sweet colours like that of LIGHT PINK Linen graced Jacopo da Pontormo’s heavenly scenes, basking figures, and scenery in an aura of supernatural light. A leader in 16th century Italian Mannerism, Pontormo’s swirling stories were filled with dynamic drapery, floating figures, and heightened passages of colour, taking flight from reality into flamboyantly spiritual…
“I do view African-American quilting as a genre, just like traditional quilts, art quilts, modern quilts. Our quilts are just a little bit different.” O.V. Brantley, Founder of Atlanta Quilt Festival Quilting is a vital strand of African American culture, telling vividly complex stories of pain, oppression, freedom, and power. There is no single unifying…
Claude Monet was entranced by the polished sheen of water, observing with fascination how it could reflect sky and land on its glossy, undulating surface. The subtle metallic shade of HEATHER Linen allowed him to capture the cool freshness of this rippling water, with patches of lilac-tinged sky and cloud scattered across its constantly shifting…
Chinese textiles have a rich, fascinating history that stretches back millennia, telling wondrous tales of their most ancient civilizations. From textured, hand-woven hemp and ramie to embroidered cotton and hand-dyed silk, the hard-won textile traditions of China have produced some of the most exquisite and desirable fabrics of all time. Indigo is a vital strand…
The soft, shimmering blue of REED Linen floods Canatello’s expansive Venetian landscapes, transforming the floating city into a mesmerising, crystalline sea of light. One of the most famous landscape painters of all time, Canaletto made his name with fresh portrayals of his home city, painting wide open skies and metallic water in undulating shades of…
In Giorgio Morandi’s elegantly understated paintings, closely toned shades of peach, cream and ivory nestle together and embrace one another with fleshy warmth. The blushing peach tinge of PRISTINE Linen was one he would repeatedly return to because it allowed him to infuse his canvases with the softly diffused glow of Italian sunlight, whether falling…
“The origin of taste, of fabric printing is India.” Georg Stark, contemporary textile artist With a name that means ‘the Indian’ or ‘from India’, the colour indigo is woven tightly into Indian history. The first nation to turn indigo production into an international trade, ancient India produced some of the finest and most luxurious indigo…
The warm, golden grey of DRIZZLE Linen has been in Californian artist Ed Ruscha’s armoury for decades, colouring sun-drenched rocks, pool sides and dry, parched grasses. His sleek photographs, prints and paintings feature bold motifs and punchy slogans that reflect the urbanised commercialism and luxury branding of American life with a knowing irony, particularly in…
Indigo’s deep blue has been treasured by Japanese people since ancient times, forming a vital strand of their sartorial and visual culture. Known in Japan as ‘aizome’, indigo dye is so integrated into Japanese society that this deepest, entrancing shade is often referred to as “Japan blue.” Initially only reserved for the wealthiest members of…
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