MY COUNTRY BUSINESS
`My designs blend influences from both East and Westa KIRAN RAVILIOUS, PATTERN DESIGNER & LINO PRINTER
K
iran Ravilious’ top-floor studio, nestled under the eaves of a screen-printing factory on the corner of a quiet street in Leicestershire, looks out over the urban rooftops – far removed from the lush greenery of tropical plants that surrounded her as a child growing up in Singapore, and which inspired many of her earliest designs. ‘I would often go to the Botanical Gardens and doodle for hours, and I used to love drawing trees as a child – you get such huge ones over there. But having lived in England for more than 15 years, you can see the influence of British plants in my work now. And the colours, which aren’t as bright here – they are more muted,’ Kiran explains. Her repeat designs for wallpapers and fabrics, worked up from her initial hand-carved lino prints, feature leaf forms and abstract shapes, derived from her medley of Eastern and Western influences – from exotic ferns to the leaf of the majestic oak. ‘I like to be quite spontaneous; I don’t have a lot of sketchbooks. Instead, ideas come to me and I’ll start drawing directly onto lino, then carve them out and print onto linen,’ Kiran explains. ‘That’s
60
COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS
what I like about handprinting: it is so instant, and I can see straight away how a design looks on fabric. Sometimes I will print just one or two motifs on my press, then transfer them to the computer and start playing with scale and colours.’ Kiran updates her designs for each season – the feminine and subtle lilacs and pinks of a recent spring/summer collection contrasting with the reds and russets of autumn. ‘I have gone back to my roots a little for some of my designs,’ she explains, ‘drawing on Indian culture and folk art influences and incorporating elements from these.’ Alongside the fabrics and wallpapers, her designs are produced in a range of products, including serving trays, linen cushions, napkins, tea towels, stationery and lampshades, sold via her website and independent stockists. Kiran demonstrated her creative side from a young age and was encouraged by her parents to follow her passion – her father, an officer in the Navy, was also artistic and would regularly spend time drawing with her and her brother. ‘I got into fine arts when I was in art college, but my parents were unsure about me taking that path as they knew it is so hard >
