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
