Honed and Faceted

Trained as a painter at Yale in the 1950s, Sheila Hicks has since become a pioneer in the field of textile art. Her work is heavily influenced by traditional folk techniques from America and abroad. Honed and Faceted is part of a series of large-scale geometric designs inspired by a visit to Morocco, where a saddle meticulously embroidered with gold thread captured her imagination. The embroidery's metallic threads reflected light dramatically, producing a multi-faceted effect. In Honed and Faceted, Hicks embroiders with thick bundles of linen threads, experimenting with tension and direction to produce a similar effect. Jewel-like facets emerge, enlivening the regularity and symmetry of this traditional quilt design with a layer of rhythm and movement.