This is SAQA Europe/Middle East: The United Kingdom

Fenella Davies 

I have been living in the lovely Georgian City of Bath for many years.

I was a member of Bath Textile Artists for ten years, making and exhibiting jewellery, collages and textiles. 

After winning a number of awards in the late 90’s, I applied, and was accepted into Quilt Art (the International quiltmaking group) about 16 years ago, and we celebrate our 30^th anniversary next year, with another international touring exhibition, accompanied by a book. (www.quiltart.eu)

 We try to produce an exhibition with book every 2 or 3 years, and these then tour throughout Europe.  Our last exhibition was in Russia and we have also just ended a long tour in the USA.

My work has been based for many years on Venice, a city that I visit often – I am interested in the decay and beauty, the silence of the calles and the contrast of the tourists, the history of past lives, and the disintegration of this unique place.

detritus Venice, 100 x 150 cm

Venice Light, 90 x 137 cm

My work is abstract and becoming more collage than quilted textile – having specialized in embroidery, I now like to ‘distress’ that with over painting, collaging, use of paper, card, flashing, matting, scrim and netting, but always using a small point of interest to make the viewer think further into the piece. 

Venice Wall Tracks

My new work is based on Seam/Stress – the word ties in neatly with the hardships of the seamstresses of the past – unknown women (invariably) whose work went unacknowledged, yet was so exquisite. 

Seamstress