susie koren

colour earth cloth

coastal landscape, northern light, human marks that map the land, the repetitive rhythms of nature provide endless inspiration for my textile artwork

background

initially studying interior design at Chelsea School of Art, textile artist Susie Koren now works from her Sussex studio. Her work is exhibited internationally, selected for open calls in prestigious UK galleries and Awards include the Royal Cambrian Selectors Prize and Fine Art Textile Award. Her pioneering investigation to apply earth pigments to cloth resulted in the development of the soya milk binder she’s used for the past decade. Published magazine and online interviews and her recent Keynote Speech at the SAQA Conference give an overview of her work,

about my work

quietly immersing myself in the process I paint and stitch, building up layers creating the narrative of place using earth pigments that leave crusty patches on the cloth

mediative hand stitch adds additional context, it is drawing with thread, a visual language drawn from my library of adapted stitch techniques that adds colour, shading, movement. I follow marks, contours and other geological references that forms texture and undulations like you find on the earth’s surface

with an itinerant childhood and enquiring mind observing maps, geography and geology informs my work. Undertaking field trips connect me to place, experiencing first-hand the repetitive rhythms of nature through walking, gathering and recording, returning to familiar places to witness the changing environment and weather patterns. My observational sketchbooks are an invaluable studio resource.