Anne Kempton
By Anne Leon
Plant-dyed silk organza with hand-coloured screen-prints, and stitching.
200 x 78.
Why Anne?
My choice of Anne Kempton as my subject, came from the desire to honour and share my respect for the “Doyenne of Textiles.” Anne left a very successful career in Government to pursue her love and support for Textiles, which was a huge leap of faith, opening a textile gallery in Newcastle. Thus TIMELESS TEXTILES was born! Over the past 10 years, Anne’s commitment and energy for her passion, despite difficult times, have left me in awe! Not only has she managed to sustain the business of keeping the Gallery going, inviting an amazing collection of artists from all over the world, and Australia, to exhibit, she has also facilitated the running of workshops, and initiated fund-raising events to raise awareness for a host of worthy causes. Alongside all of this, Anne has kept advancing and working on her own creative path, producing beautiful artworks and textiles.
About the Artist
Anne Leon is a South African born Australian and has been a passionate textile artist for over thirty years, utilizing many techniques, including silkscreen and block-printing, painting, batik, shibori and dyeing. The versatility and diversity of her work has earned her numerous large commissions, from interior designers, architects, couturiers, within Australia and Internationally.
Most recently, Anne’s work draws on the unique beauty of nature, using a combination of innovative plant-dyeing techniques and water-based screen-printing. The need to implement ecologically sustainable practices, and maintain integrity in her work, has been the catalyst for her focus: to create artwork, clothing and homewares that embody these principles. The plant-dyeing is particularly fascinating, as the nuances of mark-making are unpredictable and individual, as each leaf imprints onto cloth, with a kind of botanical alchemy: each piece is a unique work of art, signed by Nature.