BZDesign



BZDesign

About The Artist

Barbara Zaretsky • ASHEVILLE, NC
Fiber & Textiles • CUSTOM COMMISSIONS

I’ve always been fascinated with textiles and the influence they have on our culture. Inspired by the things around me, I'm moved to create art for everyday use. My work is influenced by the natural world. I strive to express the inner life or energy of an object and arrange elements to create a sense of space. This aesthetic is defined as much by what is left out as by what is included. Incorporating plant dyes, clamp-resist, block printing & hand stitching, I layer elements to create pattern.



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Q&A with the Artist

Tell us how your work is made.

I begin each piece with washing and mordanting fabric. This material is then dyed two to three times with plant dyes, incorporating a clamp-resist technique to create pattern. The fabric is then hand block printed or hand stitched to add another layer of surface design. The final product is finished with hand or machine stitching.


What makes you passionate about the medium you work with?

I believe that thoughtful, responsible design can help transform the way we view the objects in our lives and enhance the way we live. An object has more meaning when the owner understands the connection to the way it was made and values the process. With each piece created I aspire to bring beauty and harmony into my customer’s lives, but also to advocate for the sustainable use of our planet’s resources.

What is something unique about you or your practice?

Though I incorporate traditional plant based dyeing techniques that impart a distinctive earthy palette, my motifs veer toward the modern. The unexpected blend of these two influences honor both graphic geometry and fluid, imprecise edges.