I design my quilts directly on my studio wall, in full size. The quilts take shape through a back and forth process between concept and construction. My compositions – which can be compared to oversized textile collages – seek to challenge the viewer’s preconception of what a quilt can be.
I work with high quality fabrics made of natural fibres, mostly cotton and linen but also wool. I use carefully curated prints, often from Liberty but also Japanese prints and striped woven cloths. I have been collecting fabrics for 12 years and use my collection as a palette. I especially relish the challenge of making the most of the smallest piece of fabric or giving a rare vintage piece a second life by making it the central focus point of a composition. It took me many years to let myself experiment with textiles and free my creative process of the rules of traditional quilting, and I did it mainly by taking inspiration from other forms of art. I have always been profoundly moved by Rothko’s depth of colours and deceptive simplicity, or by the geometric imperfections of Josef Albers’ colour studies. Further explorations led me to Pierre Soulages and his studies in black, Nicolas de Staël’s pared down and colourful landscapes, Sonia Delaunay’s graphic textiles, Agnes Martin's soothing and meditative compositions, Louise Bourgeois’ prolific textile works. The thought that I could emulate the art I loved while creating my quilts was truly liberating.