Narrative textiles and wallpaper with Katherine Howlett

Article Added: 20/10/2008

KatherineHowlett is a textile artist who specialises in producing narrativedesigns for interiors, ideal for feature walls and upholstery.According to Katherine her one-off bespoke pieces create “a world thatunfurls over time, entertaining and conveying a story to their viewer.”

Herworking method begins with historical research into the subject she isworking with. She then blends image, pattern and text to create avisual narrative which is translated into hand-drawn and handscreen-printed designs. As well as the larger work creating a narrativestory Katherine also creates panels, wallpapers and lampshades withsimple graphic motifs that have special significance for her clients.We were fascinated by the work Katherine does and decided to talk toher to find out more about it.

I understand that you achieved a BA in social history at the University of Birmingham.What was it that inspired you to take your interest in history into theartistic field? Or did you always intend to go into textile design?
Iwas offered a place on an Art and Design Foundation course whilstcompleting my A Levels, however instead I decided to accept a place at Birmingham University to study History.  Towardsthe end of my degree I became restless and missed artistic expressionso I went to study at Central Saint Martins School of Art on theFoundation course. From then on there was no looking back and once I’dfinished the course I developed my textiles practice during a 3 yearperiod of self directed study, part time textiles courses and freelancedesign work. At the end of this period I joined the MA Textiles Theoryand Practice programme at Winchester School of Art where I began tore-examine my interest in history and developed my narrative textileswork.

Youpreviously worked in the fashion industry, how does that compare to thework you do now and what was it that made you change direction?
Iworked for a fashion studio creating hand-printed textile designs tobrief. My work was directed largely in response to catwalk trends,although the studio also predicted trends.  Now,I work under my own direction and am not trend-led, therefore I am muchfreer in subject matter and imagery. I enjoy this aspect greatly andinstead of finding it daunting, I find much more inspiring to work thisway because I am dealing with subjects which particularly interest meand which have captured my imagination. Also, I enjoy the fact that Ican work to a larger scale and I see more scope for narrative textilesin interior spaces.

From your experience in both the fashion and interiors industry which do you prefer and why?
Idefinitely prefer working in interiors! I like working to a largerscale and working with designs, which can sit flat on walls or interiorspaces. I work with great attention to detail and like to think of mywork as art work for walls and spaces. Working in interiors, I am ableto produce work which will be in situ for longer and will not replacedseason after season.  My customers are looking for luxury design which stands out and I enjoy working to provide this.

How do you start the creative ball rolling when approached by a new client?
IfI’m creating a one-off hand-printed wallpaper or a handmade lampshadefrom my collection I begin by meeting the client (at their home ifthat’s where the work will be situated) to discuss pattern, scale andcolour. I’ll show them the portfolio and they’ll pick out the designsthey like.  Some clients will want to mixelements from different designs together, and this is fine because itencourages engagement with the designs and involves the client in thedesign process of their bespoke product. Clients also contact methrough the web site with a clear idea of what they want and I can thenbegin production immediately.

How would your approach differ when approached by a client who wants you to create a narrative story?
IfI am working to portray a client’s story the best way to get the ballrolling is to meet up to talk and get an idea of their personality andwhat they’d like in the imagery. I ask to take away as much informationthey can give me – written text, photographs, samples of material, etcetc!  Anything they have which conveys thestory. Once back in the studio I do more research, including any sitevisits needed, then let my imagination run wild, creating drawings frommemory, imagination and research. I like to mix design elements fromthe period in history I am working with into the final work. Forexample, I created work about the history of Cliveden, one of theworld’s finest hotels, which was formally home to a Duke, the Astorsand a Prince of Wales. As part of the design I incorporated elementsinspired by beautiful wrought-iron gates at the hotel.

How long does it typically take to complete a project?
Thisreally depends on the project. I took three months to develop thedrawings for my current collection and another three months in thesampling phase. Obviously with my own collection, I’m working to my owntimescales to create signature pieces so I do spend a significantamount of time. Wallpaper from the collection is available within 4 to6 weeks and my lampshades are normally dispatched two weeks after order. When working on a new client’s story, the amount of time spent depends on what is required.

What are you working on at the moment?
I’mexperimenting with new technologies, such as such as laser-cutting, toinvestigate how these can be combined with more traditional methods.I’m also working on some extremely luxurious gold and silverhand-printed wallpaper for a new client, which is going to look amazingin their home.

What’s the most unusual request from a client?
I was asked to design wedding stationery telling the story of how a couple met and fell in love.  This was a wonderful job and a lot of fun to do.

For more information about Katherine or to commission her to do a piece of work for your home please visit www.katherinehowlett.com