An invitation into the colourful world of Kaffe Fassett
If asked to describe the world of Kaffe Fassett (b. 1937) in one word, it'd most likely be “colourful”. The craftsman and designer, whose distinct sense of pattern, style and the universe's many hues has earned him a spot in the pantheon of fantastic artists and artisans – and a brilliant anthology of his work in the book Kaffe Fassett: The Artist's Eye, published by Yale University Press and edited by Dennis Nothdruft.
The publication explores Kaffe's inspiring, decades-long career, including his collaborations with fashion designers and houses Missoni, Bill Gibb and Coach, as well as his original, maximalist artworks and creative ventures. Alongside certain works are retrospective essays from design and fashion historians; interviews with the artist himself are as enlightening as they are plentiful.
Extracted from Kaffe Fassett: The Artist's Eye, the below photos give a bright, colourful preview into the artist's incredible body of work.
Kaffe Fassett: The Artist's Eye, published by Yale University press, £25.
1/26Line drawing of Bath, England, 1960s.
2/26Line drawing of Widcome Manor, Bath, 1964
3/26The terrace at Nepenthe, Big Sur, California, late 1950s.
4/26Pale Bowls, 1966.
5/26Kaffe painting white china in the Lansdowne Crescent studio, 1969.
6/26Self Portrait with Flower Vase, 1962.
7/26Parasol and Soft Flowers, 1998, exhibited at Catto Gallery, London, in 1999.
8/26Kaffe in the Lansdowne Crescent studio, 1969.
9/26Persian Poppy shawl, commissioned piece, 2021.
DEBBIE PATTERSON10/26Vegetable carpet, or six cushions made for Ehrman Tapestry, 1999.
11/26Knitted waistcoat with ‘Roman Glass’ motif, 2000.
12/26The first cardigan knitted by Kaffe, late 1960s.
13/26Knitted coat – Kaffe's first private commission piece, late 1960s.
14/26Bridgewater Blanks, c.2002, exhibited at Catto Gallery, London, in 2002.
15/26Stoneware vase with ‘Roman Glass’ motif, 2000.
16/26‘Roman Glass’ fabrics.
17/26Kaffe painting a quilt-covered table, Bath, 1965.
18/26Achillea Flower fabric collage, created for Heathcote and Ivory’s ‘Achillea’ range.
19/26Open Bowls, exhibited at Catto Gallery, London, in 2002.
20/26Fire Flowers, needlepoint cushion made for Ehrman Tapestry.
21/26Zoe Hunt modelling the Romeo and Juliet knitted coat, 1970s.
22/26Blood Red Rose, needlepoint cushion made for Ehrman Tapestry.
23/26Bright Squares Blanket, knitted patchwork, 2021.
24/26White Dahlia, needlepoint cushion made for Ehrman Tapestry.
25/26White on White, 1960s, exhibited at the Color Duets exhibition, Monterey Museum of Art, 2021.
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26/26Flower Vase collage, using some of the current Kaffe Fassett Collective Fabrics, created as a poster for the Kaffe Fassett: The Power of Pattern exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum, 2022.
