Exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum, London
until 29 June 2013
Fans of Kaffe Fassett – and there are many – will have rejoiced to hear that the object of their devotion was having a substantial retrospective at London’s FTM.
The capital’s last show featuring the work of the 76-year-old, San Francisco-born, England-resident textile artist took place at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1988, when he acquired the distinction of being the first living textile artist to have a dedicated exhibition at that august institute. It surprised everyone by breaking attendance records for the museum, and subsequently toured several countries. (Apparently 5% of Iceland’s population visited the Reykjavik show.)
Therefore, the FTM exhibition represents a genuinely rare opportunity to enjoy Fassett’s way with needlepoint, patchwork, knitting, and other media, and showcases over 100 works – including new items that haven’t been exhibited in public before.
Conceived by the British interior and textile designer Sue Timney, the show also boasts extravagantly-coloured 9 ft-wide knitted shawls, coats and throws, patchwork fabrics shown in a glorious selection of quilts, and a ‘feeling wall’ that invites museumgoers to experience Fassett’s materials through tactile appreciation.
The FTM’s Fassett show is a feast of pattern, texture, colour and creativity in the textile arts, and is highly recommended.
Opening Hours
Tuesdays to Saturdays, 11am – 6pm
Last Admissions 5.15pm
Closed Sunday and Monday