Liz Williamson makes distinctive woven wraps and shawls on floor looms in her studio in Sydney. For texture, she often interlaces fibres which react differently to washing after weaving. Her research interests focus on fabric that has already been altered through wear and tear, darning and mending.

Recently, Williamson has been involved in development projects in Asia. Here she works with skilled weavers to recreate traditional textiles to generate income. While advising the Milanangan (‘meeting place’) group of weavers, in West Bengal, she worked with them to convert her own woven works to a production range.

From 1998, Williamson has also worked on a Jacquard loom at the Montreal Centre for Contemporary Textiles in Canada. This specialist industrial facility offers a mix of digital and hand technologies.




You can see Williamson's work in the new exhibition Smart works: design and the handmade, from 30 March 2007 at the Powerhouse Museum.

Smart works: design and the handmade

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