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Clarrice Collien
Sydney artist Clarrice Collien works with wool and window wire – fly wire or screen as it is commonly known - to create vibrant tapestries. Collien uses the window wire as the base for the tapestry, onto which she draws images to guide the application of the different coloured wool. This is not a rule for her practice however, as she will often work without a guiding image, the forms that eventuate onto the wire coming intuitively from within. Taught this technique by her grandparents, she has been using it consistently since she was four years old. Collien’s work is receiving increased critical attention from the art community.
Collien works predominately out of Roomies Artspace in Sydney’s inner west but will work wherever she is able. She indicates that the primary motivator behind her work is the sheer enjoyment she gains from it, however, the longevity and earnest regularity of her practice indicates also a deep and ingrained desire to create.
As well as using images from books as inspiration for her images, Collien depicts everyday scenes such as walking a dog – scenes that bring forth positive emotions for her. Collien’s emphatic use of vibrant colour echoes this sentiment and is an integral part of her work. Ideas for images will often be formed out of particular colour combinations that Collien wishes to explore.