Meet The New Quilt Artist: Fiona Gavens

Name of Artwork: Picnic Rug

Fiona Gavens is a textile designer based in Melbourne.  She has broad experience developed over a lifetime of involvement with textiles, particularly patchwork, quilting, embroidery, knitting and dressmaking. 

Her multiple careers include being a freelance quilt artist, exhibitor and teacher for many years; manager of a regional conservatorium; and university and arts administrator. As a self-taught artist she embraced the opportunity to develop formal design skills in her studies of B.A. (Textile Design), RMIT University, graduating in 2018.

Fiona is a “hands-on designer”, developing the work through the construction process. Graphic shapes, bold colour and texture have always featured strongly, whatever the medium. The Japanese concept of wabi-sabi has been a strong influence, and led to Fiona developing “systems for randomness”.

In Picnic Rug Fiona deconstructs woven checked rugs, then reimagines them to create a pieced quilt.  The "textured" construction enhances the play of light on the silk. 

Fiona Gavens online:  Instagram

The New Quilt, on exhibition at Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, Windsor, NSW from 5 February – 11 April 2021. 

Gallery hours: Open 6 days a week Monday, Wednesday-Friday 10am-4pm Saturday-Sunday 10am-3pm. Closed on Tuesday and public holidays.