“My aim is to breathe life and emotion into embroidery, an art form that is often perceived as purely decorative.” –Salley Mavor
Salley Mavor is an award-winning fiber artist whose artwork creates make-believe miniature worlds full of characters, props, and scenery, all created by hand with stitching, fabric, beads, wire, and found objects.
Enchanting Threads: The Art of Salley Mavor showcases the exceptional detail and three-dimensional quality of her fabric relief illustrations and sculptural needlework.
This exhibition includes a wide array of original picture book illustrations spanning Mavor’s career, including the entire series of artwork for her most recent book, MY BED: Enchanting Ways to Fall Asleep around the World. Among the eighty works in the exhibition are recent pieces that explore cultural diversity, migration, fashion, the natural world, and a range of social narratives, from the everyday to topical subjects.
Salley Mavor has spent four decades developing her signature style and working methods, carving out her own niche within the children’s book world and the fiber art community. Her work is applied in many ways, including children’s books, editorial illustration, and stop-motion animation
“I am interested in universal, playful narratives that address social and cultural issues,” Mavor explains. “My objective is to transcend the fiber medium by and of itself and make art that is valued for its message and emotional resonance as well as it's workmanship."
Birds of Beebe Woods, Salley Mavor, 2012
