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BIOGRAPHY
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Claire Passmore is a British born artist working with textiles and stitched fabric. Her first career was as a teacher, working with young children, adults and refugees in the UK, Poland, South Africa, France, China and New Zealand. Upon retiring she discovered another passion, working with fabric and thread to create textile sculptures and wall hangings. She is presently very happily settled on the beautiful and peaceful island of Mauritius.
Claire's award-winning art is exhibited in galleries, museums and public venues in Mauritius, Europe, the United States, Australia, China and Korea. It is also included in several private, corporate and museum collections. Her work is published in numerous books, magazines and journals, and she is also the author of 'Quilting Originals: Design your own art quilts'. Claire is a Juried Artist member of Studio Art Quilt Associates. |
ARTIST STATEMENT
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I like to touch and hold fabric, feeling its weight, texture and structure, noticing how it sits, folds and twists in my hands; I find beauty in that alone. I enjoy exploring how I can shape it, carefully scrunching, knotting, pleating, folding and stitching, to create pleasing volumes which can be connected in groupings, stacks or networks. My process is slow and exploratory, sharing similarities with the traditions of origami, patchwork and quilting.
Each new piece evolves with little, if any, pre-conceived vision of how things will develop. Bold colour, surface design, stitch and embroidery create further dimension which is enhanced by light and shadow on the raised and folded surfaces. |
SELECTED EXHIBITION RECORD
2026
Hot Stuff, BlackRock Center for the Arts, Germantown, Maryland , USA
Metamorphosis, Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Laurel, Mississippi, USA
Hot Stuff, BlackRock Center for the Arts, Germantown, Maryland , USA
Metamorphosis, Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Laurel, Mississippi, USA
2025
Anchored, Visions Museum of Textile Art, San Diego, California USA
Metamorphosis, Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, Massachusetts, USA
Hot Stuff, Stamford Museum and Nature Center, Stamford, Connecticut
Metamorphosis, Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery, Annville, Pennsylvania, USA
Hot Stuff, New England Quilt Museum, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
Watching and Waiting, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tuscon Arizona, USA
Metamorphosis, Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Art Museum, La Connor, USA
Anchored, Visions Museum of Textile Art, San Diego, California USA
Metamorphosis, Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, Massachusetts, USA
Hot Stuff, Stamford Museum and Nature Center, Stamford, Connecticut
Metamorphosis, Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery, Annville, Pennsylvania, USA
Hot Stuff, New England Quilt Museum, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
Watching and Waiting, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tuscon Arizona, USA
Metamorphosis, Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Art Museum, La Connor, USA
2024
Banyan Hideaway, Samudra Art Prize: Caudan Arts Centre, Mauritius
Watching and Waiting, International Quilt Festival: Houston
Nocturnal Glow, SAQA Virtual Exhibition
Hot Stuff, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, Florida, USA
Deep Dive, Detroit Zoo, Detroit, Michigan, USA
Fly Like the Wind, Lewis Clark-State College Center for Arts & History, Lewiston, Idaho, USA
Hot Stuff, Louisiana State University Museum of Art, LA, USA
Gentiana, SAQA Virtual Exhibition
Banyan Hideaway, Samudra Art Prize: Caudan Arts Centre, Mauritius
Watching and Waiting, International Quilt Festival: Houston
Nocturnal Glow, SAQA Virtual Exhibition
Hot Stuff, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, Florida, USA
Deep Dive, Detroit Zoo, Detroit, Michigan, USA
Fly Like the Wind, Lewis Clark-State College Center for Arts & History, Lewiston, Idaho, USA
Hot Stuff, Louisiana State University Museum of Art, LA, USA
Gentiana, SAQA Virtual Exhibition
2023
Light, Life, Love, International Fiber Arts XI, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, CA, USA
Deep Dive, Quilt Festival, Korea
Meltwater: Rising Tides, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, California, USA
Fly Like the Wind, National Quilt Museum, Paducah, Kentucky, USA
Metamorphosis, Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings, Montana, USA
In Loving memory, SAQA Virtual Exhibition
Round Hole + Square Peg = Space to Grow, SAQA, Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, UK
Storm, Lansdown Gallery, Stroud, UK
In Loving Memory, Lansdown Gallery, Stroud, UK
Horizontal Bars in Yellow, Green and Blue, Lansdown Gallery, Stroud, UK
Disconnected Horizons, Lansdown Gallery, Stroud, UK
Light, Life, Love, International Fiber Arts XI, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, CA, USA
Deep Dive, Quilt Festival, Korea
Meltwater: Rising Tides, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, California, USA
Fly Like the Wind, National Quilt Museum, Paducah, Kentucky, USA
Metamorphosis, Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings, Montana, USA
In Loving memory, SAQA Virtual Exhibition
Round Hole + Square Peg = Space to Grow, SAQA, Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, UK
Storm, Lansdown Gallery, Stroud, UK
In Loving Memory, Lansdown Gallery, Stroud, UK
Horizontal Bars in Yellow, Green and Blue, Lansdown Gallery, Stroud, UK
Disconnected Horizons, Lansdown Gallery, Stroud, UK
2022
In Loving Memory, SAQA Virtual exhibition
Für Die Kinder, SAQA Virtual exhibition
Deep Dive, Arizona - Sonora Desert Museum, USA
Inner Strength, SAQA Virtual exhibition
Light, Life, Love, Textilmuseum St. Gallen, Switzerland
Out of the Funk, Pittsburgh International Airport, USA
Silver Sixpence From My Shoe, AQS Quilt Shows, USA
The Lucky Ones, Bedford Gallery @ the Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, California, USA
The Lucky Ones, Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UK
In Loving Memory, SAQA Virtual exhibition
Für Die Kinder, SAQA Virtual exhibition
Deep Dive, Arizona - Sonora Desert Museum, USA
Inner Strength, SAQA Virtual exhibition
Light, Life, Love, Textilmuseum St. Gallen, Switzerland
Out of the Funk, Pittsburgh International Airport, USA
Silver Sixpence From My Shoe, AQS Quilt Shows, USA
The Lucky Ones, Bedford Gallery @ the Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, California, USA
The Lucky Ones, Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UK
2021
Light, Life, Love, 8th European Quilt Triennial Heidelberg, Germany
The Lucky Ones?, Mills Station Arts & Culture Center, Rancho Cordova, California USA
Lucky Ones?, Pauly Friedman Art Gallery at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania
The Lucky Ones?, The Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County, Moorhead, Minnesota
Dirty Secret, Gallerium
I Will Be Beautiful Somehow, Old Courthouse Arts Center, Woodstock IL, USA
Out of the Funk, Irma Freeman Center for Imagination, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Out of the Blue, SAQA virtual exhibition
Departure 16th November 2019, SAQA virtual exhibition
Dirty Secret, Lansdown Gallery, Stroud, UK
Fur Die Kinder, Lansdown Gallery, Stroud UK
Light, Life, Love, 8th European Quilt Triennial Heidelberg, Germany
The Lucky Ones?, Mills Station Arts & Culture Center, Rancho Cordova, California USA
Lucky Ones?, Pauly Friedman Art Gallery at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania
The Lucky Ones?, The Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County, Moorhead, Minnesota
Dirty Secret, Gallerium
I Will Be Beautiful Somehow, Old Courthouse Arts Center, Woodstock IL, USA
Out of the Funk, Irma Freeman Center for Imagination, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Out of the Blue, SAQA virtual exhibition
Departure 16th November 2019, SAQA virtual exhibition
Dirty Secret, Lansdown Gallery, Stroud, UK
Fur Die Kinder, Lansdown Gallery, Stroud UK
2020
A New Dawn, SAQA virtual exhibition
Storm, SAQA virtual exhibition
The Lucky Ones?, Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts, Melbourne, Florida USA,
The Lucky Ones? Daura Gallery at the University of Lynchburg, Virginia USA
Three Wise Words, QuiltCon, Austin, Texas, USA
Round Hole + Square Peg = Space to Grow, SAQA, Australasian Quilt Convention, Melbourne, Australia
Round Hole + Square Peg = Space to Grow, SAQA, Perth Craft & Quilt Fair, Perth, Australia
Round Hole + Square Peg = Space to Grow, SAQA, Canberra Craft & Quilt Fair, Canberra, Australia
Round Hole + Square Peg = Space to Grow, SAQA, Newcastle Stitches & Craft Show, Newcastle, Australia
A New Dawn, SAQA virtual exhibition
Storm, SAQA virtual exhibition
The Lucky Ones?, Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts, Melbourne, Florida USA,
The Lucky Ones? Daura Gallery at the University of Lynchburg, Virginia USA
Three Wise Words, QuiltCon, Austin, Texas, USA
Round Hole + Square Peg = Space to Grow, SAQA, Australasian Quilt Convention, Melbourne, Australia
Round Hole + Square Peg = Space to Grow, SAQA, Perth Craft & Quilt Fair, Perth, Australia
Round Hole + Square Peg = Space to Grow, SAQA, Canberra Craft & Quilt Fair, Canberra, Australia
Round Hole + Square Peg = Space to Grow, SAQA, Newcastle Stitches & Craft Show, Newcastle, Australia
2019
Nous Marchons Ensemble, North Dakota State University, ND, USA
Silver Sixpence From My Shoe, Biennale d'Art Textile, St Marie aux Mines, France
3 Wise Words, Sydney Stitches & Craft Show: Sydney, Australia
3 Wise Words, Adelaide Craft & Quilt Fair: Adelaide Australia
3 Wise Words, Australasian Quilt Convention: Melbourne, Australia
3 Wise Words, Brisbane Stitches & Craft Show: Brisbane, Australia
3 Wise Words, Canberra Craft & Quilt Fair: Mitchell, Australia
3 Wise Words, Newcastle Stitches & Craft Show: Broadmeadow, Australia
The Lucky Ones?, Juror: Dr Susan Beryl Marks: SAQA, Melbourne, Florida USA
Goddess or Sex-Object? Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum, Washington, USA: Invitational
Who Are You Looking At? Quilt Festival Korea: Invitational
Echoes of Demons, Grants Pass Museum of Art- Grants Pass, Oregon, USA
Nous Marchons Ensemble, North Dakota State University, ND, USA
Silver Sixpence From My Shoe, Biennale d'Art Textile, St Marie aux Mines, France
3 Wise Words, Sydney Stitches & Craft Show: Sydney, Australia
3 Wise Words, Adelaide Craft & Quilt Fair: Adelaide Australia
3 Wise Words, Australasian Quilt Convention: Melbourne, Australia
3 Wise Words, Brisbane Stitches & Craft Show: Brisbane, Australia
3 Wise Words, Canberra Craft & Quilt Fair: Mitchell, Australia
3 Wise Words, Newcastle Stitches & Craft Show: Broadmeadow, Australia
The Lucky Ones?, Juror: Dr Susan Beryl Marks: SAQA, Melbourne, Florida USA
Goddess or Sex-Object? Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum, Washington, USA: Invitational
Who Are You Looking At? Quilt Festival Korea: Invitational
Echoes of Demons, Grants Pass Museum of Art- Grants Pass, Oregon, USA
2018
Mind Your Language, 23rd Carrefour Européen, St Marie aux Mines, France
Where Do You Keep Yours?, San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, CA, USA
Mahātmā Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Quilt Festival, Houston, TX, USA
Goddess or Sex Object?, Harbour House Gallery, Kingsbridge, UK
Three Wise Words, Quilt Festival, Chicago, Il, USA
Echoes of Demons, Australasian Quilt Convention, Melbourne, Australia
Echoes of Demons, Stitches & Craft Show, Brisbane, Australia
Echoes of Demons, Craft & Quilt Fair, Canberra, Australia
Echoes of Demons, Stitches & Craft Show, Newcastle, Australia
Forced Removal, Sydney Stitches & Craft Show, Sydney, Australia
Mind Your Language, 23rd Carrefour Européen, St Marie aux Mines, France
Where Do You Keep Yours?, San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, CA, USA
Mahātmā Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Quilt Festival, Houston, TX, USA
Goddess or Sex Object?, Harbour House Gallery, Kingsbridge, UK
Three Wise Words, Quilt Festival, Chicago, Il, USA
Echoes of Demons, Australasian Quilt Convention, Melbourne, Australia
Echoes of Demons, Stitches & Craft Show, Brisbane, Australia
Echoes of Demons, Craft & Quilt Fair, Canberra, Australia
Echoes of Demons, Stitches & Craft Show, Newcastle, Australia
Forced Removal, Sydney Stitches & Craft Show, Sydney, Australia
2017
Kate Sheppard, National Quilt Museum, Paducah, KY, USA
Three Wise Words, Quilt Festival, Houston, TX, USA
Dragon's Blood, AQS Quilt Week,Daytona Beach, FL
Three Wise Words, International Quilt Festival – Houston, Texas, USA
Echoes of Demons, International Quilt Festival – Chicago, Illinois, USA
Echoes of Demons, Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, UK
Forced Removal, Thunder Bay Museum, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Forced Removal, Craft & Quilt Fair, Perth, Australia
Forced Removal, Craft & Quilt Fair, Canberra, Australia
Forced Removal, Intocraft Handmade Expo, Newcastle, Australia
Forced Removal, Craft & Quilt Fair, Adelaide, Australia
Forced Removal, Brisbane Craft & Quilt Fair, Brisbane, Australia
Forced Removal, Intocraft Handmade Expo, Melbourne, Australia
Kate Sheppard, National Quilt Museum, Paducah, KY, USA
Three Wise Words, Quilt Festival, Houston, TX, USA
Dragon's Blood, AQS Quilt Week,Daytona Beach, FL
Three Wise Words, International Quilt Festival – Houston, Texas, USA
Echoes of Demons, International Quilt Festival – Chicago, Illinois, USA
Echoes of Demons, Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, UK
Forced Removal, Thunder Bay Museum, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Forced Removal, Craft & Quilt Fair, Perth, Australia
Forced Removal, Craft & Quilt Fair, Canberra, Australia
Forced Removal, Intocraft Handmade Expo, Newcastle, Australia
Forced Removal, Craft & Quilt Fair, Adelaide, Australia
Forced Removal, Brisbane Craft & Quilt Fair, Brisbane, Australia
Forced Removal, Intocraft Handmade Expo, Melbourne, Australia
2016
Nous Marchons Ensemble, 6th Quilt Expo en Beaujolais, Villefranche-sur-Saône, France
Am I Beautiful Yet?, 22nd Carrefour Européen, St Marie aux Mines, France
Echoes of Demons, Quilt Festival, Houston, TX, USA
Forced Removal, Stratford Perth Museum & Thunder Bay Museum, Ontario, Canada,
Freedom, West Barn Gallery, Bradford on Avon, UK
Nous Marchons Ensemble, 6th Quilt Expo en Beaujolais, Villefranche-sur-Saône, France
Am I Beautiful Yet?, 22nd Carrefour Européen, St Marie aux Mines, France
Echoes of Demons, Quilt Festival, Houston, TX, USA
Forced Removal, Stratford Perth Museum & Thunder Bay Museum, Ontario, Canada,
Freedom, West Barn Gallery, Bradford on Avon, UK
2015
Here and Far, Solo Exhibition, Midsomer Norton, UK
Here and Far, Solo Exhibition, Midsomer Norton, UK
COLLECTIONS & AWARDS
International Quilt Museum Nebraska, USA
Ralph James Collection, USA
Frank Klein Collection, USA
First place: Nous Marchons Ensemble, 6th Quilt Expo en Beaujolais, Villefranche-sur-Saône, France
Ralph James Collection, USA
Frank Klein Collection, USA
First place: Nous Marchons Ensemble, 6th Quilt Expo en Beaujolais, Villefranche-sur-Saône, France
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
2023 - 2024 Secretary to the Board of Directors of Studio Art Quilt Associates
2021 - 2024 Non-executive Director, Studio Art Quilt Associates
2023 - 2024 Co-chair Studio Art Quilt Associates Global Exhibition Committee
2025 Curator, Breaking Boundaries, SAQA Virtual Exhibition
2014 - 2016 Curator, Quilters Guild of the British Isles, Contemporary Quilt
2024 Juror, Abstraction: Textural Elements, SAQA Global Exhibition
2023 Juror, Plurality of Voices, SAQA Virtual Exhibition
2020 Juror, SAQA Wide Horizons VII, SAQA Europe/Middle East
2022 Moderator, FiberArt International Forum
2021 Guest speaker, 'Quilt Stories' - Lisa Walton
2019 Guest speaker and Tutor, 5th China Creative Design Competition & International Seminar, Kequio, China
2020 Guest panelist, Textile Talks 'Conversations with the artists: Opposites attract'
2015 Author of Quilting Originals: designing your own art quilts
2021 - 2024 Non-executive Director, Studio Art Quilt Associates
2023 - 2024 Co-chair Studio Art Quilt Associates Global Exhibition Committee
2025 Curator, Breaking Boundaries, SAQA Virtual Exhibition
2014 - 2016 Curator, Quilters Guild of the British Isles, Contemporary Quilt
2024 Juror, Abstraction: Textural Elements, SAQA Global Exhibition
2023 Juror, Plurality of Voices, SAQA Virtual Exhibition
2020 Juror, SAQA Wide Horizons VII, SAQA Europe/Middle East
2022 Moderator, FiberArt International Forum
2021 Guest speaker, 'Quilt Stories' - Lisa Walton
2019 Guest speaker and Tutor, 5th China Creative Design Competition & International Seminar, Kequio, China
2020 Guest panelist, Textile Talks 'Conversations with the artists: Opposites attract'
2015 Author of Quilting Originals: designing your own art quilts
AFFILIATIONS
Studio Art Quilt Associates, Juried Artist
PRESS
Issues in Science and Technology Magazine: Volume 41, No 1, Fall 2024
Johns Hopkins Magazine: Volume 75, No 4, Winter 2023
Art Quilt Quarterly: Issue 29, October 2022, Front cover
Patchwork Professional Magazine: Issue 5, Aug 2022
German Patchwork Guilde Magazine: Spring Edition 2022
Art Quilting Studio Magazine: Vol 13, Issue 1 & Issue 2, 2021
Art Quilt Quarterly: Issues 9,10,11,14,16,21
Les Nouvelles No 14: l’Association France Patchwork, Mar 2020
Practique du Patchwork: No 6, Oct 2019
British Patchwork and Quilting Magazine: Jan & Feb 2019
Quilting Arts Magazine: Issues 66, 69, 72 and 78
Exploring Art Quilts with SAQA, Vol 1 & 2: New Directions, SAQA, 2020 ISBN: 978-0764359989
Art Quilts Unfolding: SAQA, 2018 ISBN: 978-0764356261
OUR Story: Human Rights stories in fabric, S.M Jones: Schiffer, 2019 ISBN: 9780764357978
HER Story: A celebration of Strong women: S.M Jones: Schiffer, 2018 ISBN: 9780764354601
Author: Quilting Originals: Designing your own quilts: Claire Passmore, 2015 ISBN 1505890608
Johns Hopkins Magazine: Volume 75, No 4, Winter 2023
Art Quilt Quarterly: Issue 29, October 2022, Front cover
Patchwork Professional Magazine: Issue 5, Aug 2022
German Patchwork Guilde Magazine: Spring Edition 2022
Art Quilting Studio Magazine: Vol 13, Issue 1 & Issue 2, 2021
Art Quilt Quarterly: Issues 9,10,11,14,16,21
Les Nouvelles No 14: l’Association France Patchwork, Mar 2020
Practique du Patchwork: No 6, Oct 2019
British Patchwork and Quilting Magazine: Jan & Feb 2019
Quilting Arts Magazine: Issues 66, 69, 72 and 78
Exploring Art Quilts with SAQA, Vol 1 & 2: New Directions, SAQA, 2020 ISBN: 978-0764359989
Art Quilts Unfolding: SAQA, 2018 ISBN: 978-0764356261
OUR Story: Human Rights stories in fabric, S.M Jones: Schiffer, 2019 ISBN: 9780764357978
HER Story: A celebration of Strong women: S.M Jones: Schiffer, 2018 ISBN: 9780764354601
Author: Quilting Originals: Designing your own quilts: Claire Passmore, 2015 ISBN 1505890608
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No artwork on this site may be reproduced, copied or stored without the express permission of the artist.