(CLEVELAND, OH) . . . Vincent van Gogh once said, "You can't be at the pole and the equator at the same time. You must choose your own line, as I hope to do, and it will probably be color."
Kaffe Fassett, one of the world's most renowned textile artists, has also chosen color as his lifeline, "Color gives me life and energy," Fassett said.
Life, energy and the ability to share his passion with the world. Thanks to his innovative ideas and detail-oriented craftsmanship, Fassett not only caught the attention of Swedish sewing machine manufacturer, Husqvarna Viking, but has just begun a close professional relationship with the company that will include his own pre-cut fabric kits, globe-trotting workshops and a series of embroidery designs.
"To me the job of embroidery is to add a magic highlighting to a textile," Fassett said. "The trick is to create the jewel-like detail with just a few well-chosen colors."
Fassett, in addition to his keen eye for color, has also made well-chosen decisions regarding his career as an artist. After leaving the Museum of Fine Arts School in Boston to settle in London, Fassett made a fateful trip to a Scottish wool mill where he became intrigued by how closely the colors of the yarn matched the colors of the landscape.
Inspired by the natural beauty of Scotland and a fellow passenger on the train home who taught him how to knit, Fassett began making one-of-a-kind designs that have been collected by Hollywood elite such as Barbara Streisand, Lauren Bacall, Shirley MacLaine and Ali McGraw.
In addition to his accolades as a textile artist, Fassett has also experimented in a variety of other mediums. In 1988 he won the Gold medal at the Chelsea Flower show in London. He was also the first textile artist ever to have a separate exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, doubling the museums attendance at the time.
Versatile as an artist and designer, Fassett uses nature as his color pallet for most everything he paints, knits, embroiders and quilts. Fassett enjoys focusing on the aesthetic value of his materials.
"A silky bit of color can add an immeasurable amount of delight to the world."
January 14, 2005