Kaffe 2014: The Colourful World of Kaffe Fassett

The Colourful World of Kaffe Fassett showcases how Kaffe lives by his maxim to find colour in a grey world.  Designed by celebrated theatrical designer Johan Engels, the exhibition promises to be as colourful as the dazzling pieces on display.  Over one hundred sumptuous works of textile art – a kaleidoscope of knitwear, needlepoint, beading, and quilts – will be on display in the dramatic exhibition alongside vibrant mosaics and still life paintings by the Fassett.  Nearly all the objects on view are from Kaffe’s personal collection – the much-loved pieces that surround him as he creates.  The cornucopia of works on view thus offers a glimpse of the private man behind the public façade.

The exhibition features works spanning Kaffe’s creative life, including drawings he made as a boy in California.  These monochrome pictures are a far cry from the explosions of colour that made Kaffe a household name from the 1970s as one of the great practitioners of contemporary craft.  Visitors to the exhibition will discover zones, each showcasing a variety of materials by colour, from knitted shawls to gorgeous coats inspired by Shakespearean heroines, and cushions decorated with his detailed needlepoint designs.

Image © Leon Day Images.