Amanda Browder is a fabric artist who thinks big. The 43-year-old American has made a name for herself all over the world with her peculiar niche: Covering large buildings with hundreds and hundreds of meters of bright fabric sewn together by local communities.
I make large-scale fabric installations using brightly-colored fabrics to create designs that echo aspects of both Minimalist and Geometric art,” she explained to ArtFile Magazine. “A critical element to my work is that the fabric is donated by people from the area, and much of the assembly is done by community volunteers […]”
With the community involved not only with providing the material and sewing it together, but also with planning, the result isn’t just pretty covers for buildings; it’s an authentic expression of local sentiments, and something for residents to take pride in.
“I work with the community because this connection gives an organic creativity to the work,” Browder added. “The process opens up a space for volunteers to express their artistic impulses in collaboration with others in the community.”
Because the end result depends on what material happened to be donated, Browder’s huge canvases are truly a singular product of the occasion. They bring color and joy wherever they pop up and even help to turn non-sewers into enthusiasts!
Check out some examples below.
