When Vivian Chan Shaw closed the doors of her salon in Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building in 2014, her turned her attention to creating knitted artworks. Vivian’s Chinese grandmother taught her to knit as a child, sparking a talent that would shape her career and inform her means of expression. She has never stopped knitting!
At the age of 85, Vivian continues knitting and making jewellery, focusing on dramatic hand-loomed knit wall appliqués featuring a variety of fibres and semi precious stones.
Have a look at some of her latest work – a series of knitted wall pieces, made from hand loomed knitted leaves and flowers. Organic shapes twist and turn. Layers of appliqué leaves flow through the designs, giving the appearance of landscapes viewed from above like topographical maps. Islands float in a sea of knitted curlicues, exploring the natural world in stitch.