Fatima Saeed

Fatima Saeed is a graduate of National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan. She is currently working in free motion machine embroidery. She uses a variety of materials - silk, wool, fur, cotton, and synthetics - carefully chosen for their colour, texture, credibility and aesthetic appeal. These fabrics are then dyed and stitched to create a feel and to enhance the tactile quality unique to textiles. Numerous techniques are used in limitless combinations: machine embroidery, dyeing, tie-dye, appliqué, layering, stump work, fusing, stitching and pleating.

Whether it is the five layers of the forest or the fungi or the moss, my basic inspiration is the forest textures, the entire haphazard, clustered, three-dimensional, misty feel of the rainforest. It is all about the grandeur, pathways, leaves, jungle, wildness, colours, density and the beautiful scenery. The assemblage of every tree and plant - the tallest trees, the ferns, small plants, and twigs and also dead leaves on the ground.

The feel of the forest is transferred to the fabric through free motion machine embroidery. I have explored beyond the bounds of craft and developed new techniques by using a variety of textiles.

I went to the rainforest, collected a lot of images, did research on the internet, gathered information and made a research board. Textures were the most dominant element: from water to rocks to tree leaves to bark, there are many natural textures that surround us in the rainforest. Texture usually stimulates the sense of touch but it can also be an effective visual component in compositions. It has the ability to attract and hold attention. Areas of texture can be used to create contrast between shapes and to emphasise visual components.

Initially I replicated the exact images on fabric, by collecting fabrics, threads and materials that matched the image most closely. In that way I began to achieve what I wanted: there was texture, the dense feel of the forest and also a three-dimensional quality. Then I shifted slightly towards completely textural compositions. So my main emphasis was on the texture rather than the actual imagery.

From textile installation to functional art to functional sculpture to soft sculpture, I chose to do a blend of all these. I created pillows (cushions), because it is a form that is very convenient, extremely soft, and one gets the urge to hold them, squeeze them and even stick one's face in to smell them! They fulfil my desire to make a textile sculpture that is also functional.

Contact me by email at .

Fatima Saeed

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