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Graffiti Embroidery?



You bet! Welcome to the world of renown fabric artist Tilleke Schwarz. In her own words, this is what Tilleke says about her work:
My work is a mixture of graphic quality, content and fooling around. The humor in my work is typical for my Jewish background: a mixture of a laugh and a tear. Folk art and daily life are great sources for inspiration. I use mixed media with a focus on hand embroidery on linen and on drawings and paintings. 
My work can be understood as a kind of visual poetry. It is a mixture of contemporary influences, graffiti, icons, texts and traditional images from samplers. And of course cats are usually included. The embroidery contains narrative elements. Not really complete stories, with a beginning, a storyline, and an end. On the contrary, the narrative structures are used as a form of communication with the viewer.
I am thrilled to be attending a lecture by Tilleke on September 30th, here in Vancouver courtesy of the Maiwa Symposium on Granville Island. I think I'll add a copy of her latest book, New Potatoes, to my art library when I'm there. I can hardly wait to hear about her process and see her work in person. Oh, the new things I'll learn!

Click the words: Maiwa Symposium, if you're interested in learning more about this monumental, annual fiber-art event.

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