well, i officially have a girlcrush. it's on singapore artist izziyana suhaima, who aside from having one of the coolest names i've ever heard, is also an incredibly talented illustrator and embroiderer. incorporating all things i love, her style is one part fashion illustration, one part embroidery, with a dash of watercolor and glitter thrown in for good measure. i love the play between the areas of white space and the dense and detailed areas of thread, while the portraits themselves have just the right amount of restraint. i'm feeling a commission coming on! see more from izziyana here.
australian artist dominique falla is just my type. she creates beautiful typographic installations using string or embroidery floss, in many cases incorporating numerous layers and colors, and the results are both tactile and sculptural. her pieces are clearly a labor of love, and also - clearly worth it. learn more about dominique here.
i always appreciate when art is not only visually captivating but it also brings a smile to my face. i can't help but grin when i look at the beautiful work of los angeles artist megan whitmarsh, whose "paintings" are actually meticulous hand-stitching and embroidery that are part abstract, part pop-art, and part collage. the neon colors and quirky characters are spot on. i also don't know the meaning of the furry ape with the boombox, but i love that he always manages to show up somewhere! learn more about megan here.
a textile freak myself, i love when i see traditional hand-done techniques pushed to a new level, and the canevas collection (just shown at maison & objet in paris) is definitely doing just that. a collaboration between artist charlotte lancelot and gan rugs, these pieces are essentially one oversized handmade embroidery using felt. the rug starts bare with a punch-hole grid, and can be reworked with any pattern and configuration, though i really love what charlotte has done referencing traditional floral patterns and embroidery samplers. i think it's especially creative to have made the "worn-rug" patterns as well. i'd love one, but i'd never be able to walk on it!
i am loving these plastic baskets by artist josh blackwell, who transforms a seemingly disposable object into a work of art by embroidering intricate patterns using other waste materials. the result is both beautiful and unexpected! learn more about josh here.
penguin has pretty much been knocking it out of the park with their book redesigns in recent years, and their latest series, penguin threads, is no exception. i love books and i love embroidery, so these were more or less made for me. the lady behind the design is jillian tamaki, an illustrator and cartoonist who hand-embroidered each cover, and the final book was then sculpt embossed to give it a real texture. and that's not all - when you open the covers, you can even see the backs of the embroideries! swoon. buy the series at penguin and learn more about jillian here.
gabriel dawe is a mexican-canadian artist who has a special touch with textiles and embroidery, specifically with large-scale installations using thread and bold arrangements of color. with one simple material, he completely transforms environments into unbelievable spaces that pull you into their world. if only every place seemed so magical. learn more about dawe here.
these sweater letters by maricor/maricar are just my type. embroidery, typography, pattern, and bright color all combined in one? i'm sold. now all i need is one on a letter jacket with patterned sleeves and i'm ready to go. see more of their impressive portfolio here.
