Diane Zwickel
Surrey, BC
Biography
I was born and raised in Winnipeg, the daughter of a commercial artist. Watching my father turn a pencil line into a three-dimensional drawing inspired me to visualize a flat piece of fabric or a strand of yarn morphing into fashion. I started sewing at 12 and knitting at 23, following trends I saw on the pages of Vogue and changing them just enough to make them my own. I learned that fine materials were worth the investment, and to this day I appreciate the tactile beauty and colours of natural fibers – silk, woolens and cotton.
Statement
“As a lifelong lover of textiles, I am constantly looking for new ways to interact with fiber. Taking a contemporary approach to traditional techniques, I experiment with materials to create pieces that add beauty to our everyday lives.
My felt “vessels” embrace a love of texture, simplicity of design and a reflection of nature. Using natural fibers and found materials, I create surfaces composed of subtle colours, textural elements and organic feel. Colours stay within a primarily neutral palette, which is heavily influenced by my love of the West Coast ─ green foliage, brown cedar, grey fog, steel ocean, beach-sand beige. Felted bowls created through the process of “fulling” are special – surprisingly useful where a “soft landing” is in order, but also stunning when alone and empty. My sisal, hemp and wire pieces range from sturdy to ethereal. What all my bowls have in common is that they are tactile, organically beautiful, and modern.
New for 2019, “Framed” is a collection of whimsical subjects and studies in colour, all created by hand with knitting needles and finished in white 10″x10″ shadow frames, ready to hang. Fibers include Japanese cotton, fiqué, sisal, raw silk and mohair-wrapped silk. What they all have in common is texture, shape and flow. Each work is one of a kind.”