Fakeha Naeem Textile Designer

I was taken by a circular Chinese motif that got me to work out something on my own, just to make a different style or pattern using the same image. Here is how I went about the work and what I ended up with.   I tried making this as simple as possible with as many detailed instructions as I could have. These are not the only options or ways to go about a certain motif,just think out of the box and imagine how you would like to see a certain design or pattern. Creativity does not have only one method or direction. Enjoy!

Every artist has a certain area where they feel most comfortable, a preference of a certain medium , inspiration from either nature, man made objects or photography etc similarly pen and ink, charcoal and oil paints are mediums that I can mostly relate to and am extremely comfortable with. Pen and Ink and random doodling comes naturally to me, its the way my mind thinks and clams itself, its a safe heaven. Since I enjoy  creating eye movement and have from time to time created designs and patterns on canvas. Connective art is for me the best way to express my work and to my understanding the most effective way to create eye movement in my designs, somehow the expansion of various canvases capturing a design of mine makes it limitless with no boundaries. For me one canvas restricts me to a certain boundary and by using canvases to create a painting in a form of connective art is my way of creating a limitless boundless art work where I decide when to finish. Here is one

I created a series of hand dyed scarves in silk using reactive dyes. Other then the basic techniques of resist design I also created Batik designs using hard and soft wax.Interestingly, the soft wax allowed the designs to emerge in its full form disallowing cracking where as the hard wax would crumple when left to dry giving more cracks and allowing the dye to seep through making the designs on the scarves less prominent. In a few scarves I took the liberty of using both kind of waxes to get a fading as well as a sudden emergence of designs in areas within a scarf. The effect were very interesting. The best way to wash these scarves was the usual method, cold wash followed by a warm wash, pass the fabric through synthrapol (dilute soap water) and repeat the process of cold and warm water till the excess dye has bled out.Pat dry and iron the scarves. After usage of a silk scarf and when you decide to wash it I suggest cold wash only. Here are some of the scarves that I designed, som

  Going for a closer look on the scarves.

Tie and dyes are famous amongst all age groups, possible because of the instant gratification it gives us and also the fact that the creative options are endless. There are no prerequisites required. Just need soda ash to activate the dyes and the dye bath so that the colors remain binded to the fabric. I bought some silk scarves from Dharma and decided to do another project with reactive "cold dyes" instead of  traditional "acid dyes" and the results were amazing. For these particular scarves I used clamp technique and I used elastic bands and clamps in various sizes.  Here is what I came up with. I call it my Pink Collection.

For us designers be it in any field we are in some way or the other proficient in creating a a design or a motif out of a motif and make it our own. Inspirations taking from somewhere or the other defines and tempts us to create a version which depicts our take on a certain form of pattern. For us it is similar to giving a comment on a certain notion just visually rather than verbally. This was my take on a small circular filigree motif that I found and decided to create a south Asian inspired jewelry /necklace piece which I then joined in to give a rather heavy lace like damask look to the design. I have written down instruction within the image to give an idea on how I went about it. To the readers of my blog perhaps You would like to try this exercise and post your take on a certain image on my blog. It would be great to see some creative pieces.

I had a client who approached me to make designs for his school club and we worked together to come up with something to his liking and this is what we came up with. He loved it and I enjoyed working. Its all about making T shirts more personal, fun and  meaningful. I hope you like our little project.

One of the best things about Summer back at home is the exhibitions that are lined up of Lawn designs and prints. Its the celebration of the coming of summer, the explosion of prints, color and design, the embellishments with laces and beads. Clothes ,clothes and more clothes was the reason why I actually got in to Textiles myself. This is one of the lawn designs in citrus colors that I came up with and there are more to come. The main design and its co ordinates have been mapped for visual perspective. My designs are easily workable via flat or roller screen printing techniques. The upcoming designs following this one are all about heading back to the root of simple prints with merged researched designs.

One of the most relaxing thing that keeps my creativity at bay is sitting on a couch,sipping away Tea and pick up my sketch book and draw away. My favorite time between drawing and finishing is not knowing the outcome. Its like setting free yourself from your own walls that you create to make something look practical. The best part of keeping a  sketchbook for me is I guess letting my self loose and let the pen direct me. Here are some of the random sketches which ended up being prints for the T's. 

As a Textile Designer I have a huge affinity towards creating prints on any possible surface that I can find,happens by default I guess, I call it a professional hazard. This is one of my prints on canvas as a form of connective art. I chose Paisley as my theme for this particular print mostly because they come naturally to me and the ethnic south Asian feel they bring to me making me feel right at home. I hope you enjoy this particular work of mine.

This small wall hanging comprises of color co-ordinations related to depression and stress. Rays of hope and excitement that one feels in lapses for various reasons  in each individual's life is denoted with colored textured yarns and the various shades of grey yarns depict the sadness that revolves around them. This is a succession of pieces that I worked on this is the in between phase towards final recovery.

Shibori a traditional Japanese tie and dye techniques is seen on various products ranging from fabric, to accessories such as bags, stoles etc. The art of dying in not only limited to fabric but is also widely used by weavers all around the world to create amazing design patterns on the yarns before they are woven in to a fabric. The options are limitless and also the color combinations, dye merging in to another color creating interesting overlapping of colors. Here is an example of a MX dyed wall hanging I made using pure cotton yarn in white and then dyed them in various shades of pink.

Connective art once tapped in to allows an artist to expand their imagination as well as their composition to a new level. The eye movement within a design can be created in so many ways, the eye leaps from one canvas to another creating  their own connection to view the work and then another impact created within the design by using bold colors and big designs. I used a similar ideology when creating a floral print design on canvas.