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| Kaffe Fassett |
| Crowds flock to his lectures, looking for inspiration. But this guru isn't preaching on human spirit or financial success — his speciality is knitting. |
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Crowds of people flock to his lectures, hoping for a glimpse of the man, his inspiration and his craft. But this guru isn't preaching on love, life, the human spirit or financial success — his speciality is knitting. During his recent visit to Australia, he made time for a chat with Tara.
Kaffe Fassett is the UK's king of home decoration and is reputed as one of the world's most innovative textile artists. He was born in California in 1937 but is now living in Britain. Kaffe was launched into fame with his breathtaking needlepoint and knitting designs, then branched into painting, patchwork, interiors and mosaics, with international success. His trademark is geometric patterns and bright, bold colours.
The artist is credited with bringing colour to the traditional crafts and making them accessible to even the most humble craft lover. He works with sensual fabrics, roses and jewel-like colours, layering pattern upon pattern to create his home and garden masterpieces. Kaffe's work is sold through Liberty in London and recently won a major mosaic award at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Kaffe's passion for the arts emerged at a young age. Growing up, it was his responsibility to paint the family Christmas cards. While he studied art, it wasn't until a trip to a Scottish mill that he developed a taste for textiles. Kaffe was intrigued by the colourful yarns and on the train home, asked a passenger to teach him to knit.
Kaffe's designs reflect his love of colour. He is inspired by the swirling patterns and colours of fairgrounds and circuses with their dash of glitz. Many of his rooms vibrate with colour and pattern that is crammed onto every available surface. Despite his care for colour, Kaffe also enjoys white. A recent project was to create a white room, exploring its many shades and textures.
Early influences in Kaffe's life shaped his belief that a room should reveal the owner's wit, beauty and taste. Every possible surface should be crawling with pattern, colour and texture. Pattern has become an obsession for Kaffe and is reflected in his complex mosaics.
Mosaics can give old junk new life. When Kaffe sees a junk shop or rubbish dump he immediately starts to think of what he can make. Mosaics consist of a pattern of small units called tesserae. Traditionally, these were small ceramic tiles as used by the early Romans. Contemporary artists often use broken tiles and crockery to make mosaics but Kaffe claims you can use anything and everything — shells, fabric, button and spoons offer a multitude of possibilities.
The artist has written a number of books, sharing the creative process with his readers. He covers every facet of design, from inspiration to finished product, using clear and concise instructions.
While in Australia, Kaffe exhibited his work at three Australian Women's Weekly Needlework, Craft and Arts Fairs. He also presented a series of lectures and workshops, exploring the ways colour and patterns can be incorporated into the home.
A highlight of his presentations was a guided tour of his own home. This was done with the aid of coloured slides and pictures from his latest book "Welcome Home". Patchwork, knitting, quilts, mosaics and paintings are just some of the ways Kaffe has turned his house into a home. He has used his entire property as a canvas, displaying his work inside and out.
Minimalist he isn't. Kaffe uses a riot of colours, patterns, textures and styles. He says, "My style principle is simple: when in doubt add 20 more colours." He works in many media and sees them all as interlinked. In 1988 Kaffe became the first living textile artist to have a one-man show at the popular Victorian & Albert Museum.
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More Info
The three books featured on Our House were:- MOSAICS Inspirations and 24 Original Projects: by Kaffe Fassett and Candace Bahouth. RRP $59.95
- GLORIOUS INTERIORS — Needlepoint, knitting and decorative design projects for your home: by Kaffe Fassett. RRP $35.00
- PATCHWORK with Liza Prior Lucy — over 25 glorious quilt designs: by Kaffe Fassett. RRP $49.95
The books are published by Ebury Press and available at all good bookstores.
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Disclaimer
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