I grew up in a family of dressmakers, knitters, and crocheters. My grandmother worked as a cutter in a clothing factory, Kaplan Bros, followed by the department store John Orr’s as an alteration hand shortly after WW2.
I remember as a young child how on weekends when visiting my grandmother, everyone would gather in the sewing room. Each of the women would be working on her own garment; sewing, knitting, crocheting, when grandma would sent one of us girls to make tea. It was also here that I first started threading needles for my grandmother whose eyesight was deteriorating. In summertime, the heat would be unbearable in the sewing room, but there was always work to be done, whether it was clothing items or quilts. Winters were usually reserved for knitting and crocheting by the fireplace.
My mother followed in my grandmother’s footsteps, and also earned a living as a dressmaker. Although my grandmother always warned that it was a “thankless job” and not something she wished her daughters to pursue, it was the making-of-clothes that my mother was drawn to. While her mother (my grandmother) refused to teach her the basics, she still picked up some of it while helping during late night deadlines. Once she got married and could save up to buy her own sewing machine, she went on to teach herself everything she could about dressmaking and as a young mother and wife, started earning a living. Fast forward 18 years, and this skill was invaluable for a single parent with three children, albeit only a small income.
My mother endeavoured not to deprive her children from these skills, and taught all three children (including my brother) to sew, knit and crochet. At a very young age, I could make clothing items, and knit my own jerseys, with the help of my mother. My older sister got me inspired to crochet decorative items.
These skills have been invaluable throughout my life, and I also ended up working as a dressmaker in my spare time.
I experienced what a lot of other artists go through – wanting to be an artist, but getting derailed by others’ opinions that there is no money in the arts, and that it is impossible to survive as an artist. As a result I never finished my Fine Art studies, instead taking up odd jobs and later working in a corporate environment as a communications practitioner, and web and graphic designer.
As someone who grew up underneath sewing and knitting machines, watching the women in my life create beautiful wearables, keeping food on the table, and finding joy in the making process, fabrics, threads, yarn, and all things textile related, is part of my fibre.
Discontented with governments and the history of my country which brought it to its knees, I decided to relocate to another country. As an emigrant living in a liminal world, I felt like I had lost my way and was searching for the path back to my roots, and the 2020 lockdown provided that opportunity.
Art has been a constant in my life.
Textiles have been a constant in my life.
It was staring me in the face. I was to become a textile artist.
Wouna le Roux 