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I was honored to receive the
"Award of Excellence" at the Artwear In Motion fashion show
held at The Textile Center in Minnesota in October 2004.
Here are some photos of the ensembles which were in the
show. The award was sponsored by the Goldstein Museum
of Design. See the Textile Center website for more
information about their classes, shows and events:
www.textilecentermn.org
Runway photos by Richard Kain of Minneapolis, MN
(612) 379-4253
See his work at
www.mnartists.org |
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Artists Statement: Artwear In Motion 2003
Theme: Creating the Future
This group of hand woven apparel was
inspired by my dreams, Armenian family stories and research
into Middle Eastern textiles and history . “The Itinerant
Circus” is created from a dream about a matriarchal ancestor
who was the leader of traveling circus performers.
“Morcord’s Kimono” speaks of home life. Red and yellow are
important colors in Armenian wedding costumes. In Armenian
culture, each woman’s apron is unique, and expresses her own
personal history. “Entari Ensemble” is my interpretation
of a common Middle Eastern garment. “Hidden Stories”
asks questions about what it is like to be behind a veil. The
cocoon-like form of the cloak emphasizes this wrapping of
women, but we can still move beneath the cloth. I have taken my
ancestral past and mixed it with my present crafts of weaving
and sewing to create wearables of the future. |
The gallery below features modeled garments. Click the item
number beneath a photo if you want to link to the page with size and price
information. If no item number appears, the garment has been sold.
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Kimono
alpaca, silk, wool |
Hat
silk, stainless steel |
Vest
silk, wool,
paper etching |
Hat
silk, wool/rayon,
merino wool/nylon boucle |
Armenian Cloak
C194
silk, wool/rayon,
merino wool/nylon boucle |
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Vest
silk, paper, alpaca |
Vest V189
silk, paper, alpaca |
Cape
silk, stainless steel |
Scarf
S199
silk, silk/rayon,
boucle accents |
Vest V189
silk, paper, alpaca |
Vest
silk, paper, alpaca |
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Chenille
Cloak |
Chenille Kimono |
Chenille Kimono
KA074
$960. |
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| Cape
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Cape |
Chenille Jacket |
Headdress |
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Chenille
Cloak CM123
$600 |
Mask |
Chenille Jacket |
Chenille
Cloak CM123
$600. |
A
Special Commission"I
fell in love with Cynthia's work the first time I saw it.
The rich symbology and beautiful colors are unique and
beautiful expressions. I asked Cynthia to design a
ceremonial robe for me to wear in conjunction with my
wedding festivities. The result went far beyond my
expectations. I wore this beautiful robe for the
rehearsal dinner, after the ceremony and during our
honeymoon and felt like a queen. As a sound healer and
performer it is now a regular part of my performances.
As I sat praying before my October concert, I could feel the
power of the colors and the symbols that surrounded me.
Cynthia is a weaver not only of material, but of magic."
- Amy Robbins-Wilson
To learn more about Amy's work, see her
website:
http://www.geckoinflight.com
(click to link) |
Symbols
Explanations of symbols
are from research into Middle Eastern rug designs, and my
own intuition.
The Goddess
is an ancient symbol expressing reverence for the feminine.
The Triple Goddess represents the three stages in a
woman's life: child, mother* and crone. While weaving
the Goddess, I unexpectedly felt a powerful energy in her
image.

The center image represents
Fertility*.
*Not just in a reproductive sense, but
applying to anything people do. |

Back |

Front reverse side |

Back reverse side. |

The Home is at center top, the
Tree of Life (the ancient, current and future family) at
right and left, and the Comb (protects marriage) at
bottom center. |
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Headdresses,
Masks and Prints
Clothing designs are inspired
by my Armenian ancestry and dream imagery. I have worked in the
printmaking medium to express these ideas, and I am enjoying translating
them into fiber also.
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Headdress
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Cloak and Mask
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Morcord's
Melons
etching
chin colle |
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Itinerant
Circus
woodcut,
watercolor, pen |
Fiberarts Design
Book 7
I had a garment juried into the newest Fiberarts Design Book. It is published by Lark Books, and is
full of inspirational fiber work of all kinds. See the Lark Books website
for more information:
www.larkbooks.com |
click
to link to other pages:
Prints
Handwovens
Scarves
Hats
Garments Blankets
Shawls
Print Show Catalog
What's New
About the Artist
Shows
& Galleries
Gallery
Print Process
Weaving Process Links
Home
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