I love that I get to work alongside creative women every day in our studio.
With each person who joins the team comes new gifts and a renewed sense of possibility for what we can accomplish together. “When Feathers Come Together: A Global Chicken Collection” is an expansion of the collaborative spirit we experience as a studio on a global scale.
In this age of growing virtual communities, we continually find inspiration as we discover other artists and designers online, and we are particularly drawn to those practicing the craft of fiber art with devotion. Fiber art techniques are often achieved by hand and over time. They can be methodical and repeating, and yet they allow for the celebration of mystery and the spontaneity of the process. We often see that these practices bear meaning in their connection to cultural roots and the heritage of environments, both natural and human made.
With great hopes of meaningful connections to come, we reached out to women whom we admire from around the world and invited them to join us in creating this inspiring collection. The concept of a “progressive collaboration” was one in which these artists would make feathers to reflect their own artistry and perspective, and then pass them along to our studio artisans to sculpt onto our classic chicken forms. Once complete, the chickens were intended to be displayed side by side, highlighting their unique expressions and unifying them as a joyful, spirited flock.
When we received our first “yes,” the dream of actually working with these remarkable women from across the globe became real. Through emails, sketches and video chats, we shared with the artists the quality and amount of textiles needed to upholster a chicken. We prompted each of the six participating artists to design one big and one little chicken in a way that reflected their sense of home, using materials and processes that bring them joy.
As with every piece of art, the feathers fashioned onto these chickens tell a story. Many stories, actually — the origin of their materials, the processes by which they were created, the women who created them, the women who then stitched them into place, and the incredible team that brought this collection all together.
I’d like to share my deepest gratitude with everyone involved and with the collectors who adopted these chickens into their homes, allowing the stories to continue.
Thank you, also, to Jo and this incredible Women Create community for your ongoing support and encouragement of our work. We hope that you find joy and inspiration as you engage with the stories of our collaborating artists in the following pages. Aren’t they amazing?
For me, this collection is truly a dream come true.
— Sally Jane Linville
